Thome being sent to champion Sox

Philadelphia is also giving cash, but getting center fielder Aaron Rowand.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday to send Jim Thome and cash to the World Series champion Chicago White Sox for center fielder Aaron Rowand.
The deal is subject to the players passing physicals, the Phillies and White Sox said. Because of the cash involved, it also must be approved by the commissioner's office. The Phillies are giving the White Sox $22 million as part of the deal, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the teams did not make that information public.
Thome, an oft-injured first baseman, is owed $43.5 million in the final three seasons of his $85 million, six-year contract. He hit .207 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in just 193 at-bats last season and became expendable after the emergence of Ryan Howard, who won the NL Rookie of the Year award.
Rowand batted .270 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs for the White Sox last season. He will make $3.25 million next year, and his contract includes a $3.25 million player option for 2007. If Rowand declines, his club can exercise the option at $5 million.
Konerko's agent, too
Rowand is represented by Craig Landis, also the agent for first baseman Paul Konerko, the MVP of Chicago's AL championship series win. Konerko became a free agent after the World Series, and Tuesday's trade doesn't necessarily mean the White Sox will abandon their attempt to re-sign him since one can be the designated hitter.
If the White Sox do re-sign Konerko, it's unclear whether they also would attempt to keep Frank Thomas, who also became a free agent. Chicago might move Scott Podsednik from left field to center and give top prospect Brian Anderson a shot in left or in center.
The 28-year-old Rowand, 28 Philadelphia's need for a center fielder. The Phillies weren't planning to re-sign Kenny Lofton, who hit .335 while platooning with Jason Michaels in center last year.
The trade is the first major move for new general manager Pat Gillick, who replaced Ed Wade this month. Wade lost his job after the Phillies missed the playoffs for the 12th straight year and 21st time in 22 seasons.
Philadelphia went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston.
The Phillies lured Thome away from the Cleveland Indians in 2002, and he hit 47 and 42 homers in his first two seasons in Philadelphia. The 35-year-old Thome has 430 career homers, but is coming off surgery on his right elbow in August.
Mets-Marlins trade
NEW YORK -- Carlos Delgado is headed to the Mets, 10 months after he spurned New York to sign with the Florida Marlins.
The Mets reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Delgado and $7 million from the Marlins for first baseman Mike Jacobs and minor league pitcher Yusmeiro Petit.
It was the second big, tentative deal struck this week by the payroll-slashing Marlins, who also have a pending agreement to send 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett to the Boston Red Sox for three prospects. The two trades would cut Florida's payroll, which was $60 million at the start of last season, by about $27 million next year.
Frustrated they have been unable to put together financing for a new ballpark, the Marlins said Tuesday they have received permission from the commissioner's office to explore moving the franchise for the 2008 season.
New York would receive $7 million from the Marlins as part of the trade to offset the $48 million Delgado is owed over the next three seasons. The first baseman turned down the Mets' offer last January to accept a $52 million, four-year contract from the Marlins, who did not offer the no-trade clause contained in the Mets' deal.
Because he is a veteran player traded during a multiyear contract, Delgado would have the right to file a trade demand during the 15 days following next year's World Series.
A two-time All-Star, he hit .301 with 33 homers and 115 RBIs in his lone seasons with the Marlins, reaching 30 homers for the ninth consecutive year. The 33-year-old Delgado, who spent his first 12 major league seasons with Toronto, has a .284 career average with 369 homers and 1,173 RBIs.
Dodgers manager
LOS ANGELES -- Bud Black decided to remain with the Los Angeles Angels as pitching coach rather than pursue the Dodgers' managerial job.
Black declined an invitation to be interviewed Tuesday after the Dodgers received permission from the Angels to speak with him. But he called Dodgers GM Ned Colletti that night to say he'd like some additional time to consider the matter.
"Bud informed Ned that he's not prepared to interview at this time," Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said.
"Bud slept on it last night, and came to the conclusion that while he was honored to receive the opportunity to interview, the time isn't right for him to pursue a managerial job in 2006," said Angels spokesman Tim Mead said. "He's very honored that Ned Colletti and the Dodgers' organization would consider him."
Black, who signed a two-year contract with the Angels earlier this month, has turned down past requests to be interviewed because he didn't want to have to move his family from Rancho Santa Fe, located in the San Diego area. He has a daughter in middle school and another in high school.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.