INDIANS Thome expected to make announcement today

Cleveland has offered the slugger a 6-year, $60 million deal.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jim Thome spent part of his holiday weekend hunting -- and being hunted.
Thome, baseball's most coveted free agent slugger, is expected to end a monthlong, two-team courtship today by announcing whether he will stay with the Cleveland Indians or sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
"We've done our negotiating. We've done our selling," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Sunday night. "It's in Jim's hands. We're anxiously awaiting his decision."
Shapiro said he spoke with Pat Rooney, Thome's agent, on Sunday and the two planned to talk again today.
Would like to stay with Tribe
Last week, the first baseman called Shapiro, Indians manager Eric Wedge and other front office members to tell them his preference was to remain with Cleveland.
At the time, Thome was mulling a six-year offer from the Phillies worth about $90 million and he asked if the Indians could improve their $60 million, five-year offer by guaranteeing a sixth year.
The Indians wouldn't go that far, but they restructured their offer by making the sixth year a vesting option -- one Thome could reach more easily based on performance.
Thome has been at his home in Aurora, since early last week and the avid outdoorsman went hunting with some friends and family members this weekend.
The Indians are hoping it's enough to keep their career home run leader, and see Thome's reluctance to immediately leave for more money with the Phillies as a positive sign he wants to stay.
"We recognize it's a difficult decision for him because of his ties to Cleveland and because of how much money Philadelphia is offering," Shapiro said.
After Thome received the Phillies' last package, the budget-conscious Indians extended themselves far beyond what Shapiro ever thought they would -- or could -- offer.
Proud of commitment
Even if Cleveland doesn't re-sign Thome, Shapiro said he's proud of the commitment owner Larry Dolan displayed in trying to keep one of his team's cornerstone players.
"I feel good about what the Dolans have done," Shapiro said. "We made our original offer and the Dolan family stepped up by recognizing and showing they wanted to keep a player who is a treasure here.
"We did everything we possibly could from an organizational standpoint."
An official announcement on Thome's signing might not come until later in the week. He'll have to undergo a physical for insurance purposes with whichever team signs him, and details of his contract will have to be finalized.