Orioles acquire Thome from Phillies for two minor leaguers

The Baltimore Orioles announced Saturday they acquired designated hitter Jim Thome from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league right-hander Kyle Simon and catcher Gabriel Lino.

Thome, a five-time All-Star, is tied with Sammy Sosa for seventh all-time with 609 home runs. He trails only Alex Rodriguez (642) on the active list and Barry Bonds (762) and Ken Griffey Jr. (630) among left-handed hitters.

The 41-year-old ranks 18th all-time with a career .959 OPS and 25th with 1,689 RBI. Thome is one of just eight players in major league history with 12 or more seasons with at least 30 homers.

Thome has had success at his new home. He has 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 67 career games at Oriole Park.

This season with the Phillies, Thome hit .242 with five homers and 15 RBI in 30 games, mainly as a pinch-hitter. He is expected to be the Orioles new DH.

Simon, 21, was 2-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts for Class A Frederick. Lino, 19, was batting .218 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 56 games for Class A Delmarva.

The Orioles designated left-hander Zach Phillips for assignment to make room for Thome on the 40-man roster.