By DENNIS DEITCHdendeitch@aol.comPHILADELPHIA -- When Jim Thome signed with the Phillies three years ago, he thought he would close out his career in Philadelphia.Injuries, Ryan Howard and an interested team from his home state combined to create a detour for Thome.

The slugging first baseman will join the defending World Series champion Chicago White Sox provided he passes a physical and the commissioner’s office clears the $22 million that a Phillies source said will head from Philly to Chicago along with Thome.

In return the Phils get center fielder Aaron Rowand, 28, who has a very good glove, good speed, decent pop and not-so-good plate discipline. Oh yeah: He also wields a World Series ring, one that he earned as an everyday player for the Sox.

The deal isn’t expected to become official until Friday at the earliest, and the Phillies’ front office would only confirm the trade was agreed upon and that Thome, a Peoria, Ill., native, had waived his no-trade clause.

On the surface it would seem that the physical could be a major hurdle since Thome has had various maladies over the past two seasons. However, the Phillies have been closely monitoring Thome’s physical condition ever since he underwent season-ending surgery on his right elbow in July. The word that came from Clearwater, Fla., in recent weeks was that Thome was working vigorously in his rehab and slimming down a thick frame that led to chronic back issues in recent seasons. Because Thome has been under such close watch it would be unlikely that the White Sox would have come this far without a firm belief that Thome was able to pass a physical.

While Thome’s drive to revive his career this winter was admirable, it wasn’t enough to convince the Phillies to choose him over Howard, who took advantage of Thome’s absence to earn the National League Rookie of the Year award by hitting .288 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs in slightly more than half of a season. Thome finished the season hitting .207 with seven homers and 30 RBIs, although he did average 45 homers and 118 RBIs in his first two seasons with the Phils after signing with them as a free agent prior to 2003.

Howard would have been enticing on the trading block, but the Phillies will save nearly half of the remaining $43.5 million Thome had on the final three years of his contract in the deal. And while Howard could have brought significant talent to the Phils in a deal, they got a legitimate everyday player in his prime for Thome.

Rowand signed a deal with the White Sox prior to last season that paid him $2 million in 2005 and will earn him $3.25 million in 2006. There is a dual option for 2007 that will pay Rowand $3.25 million if he exercises his option for that season, or $5 million if the team chooses to exercise the option.

The White Sox had a banner season in 2005, but it actually represented a step back for Rowand. After putting up eye-popping numbers in 2004 (.310, 24 HRs, 69 RBIs, 17 SBs) while hitting either first or second in the batting order, the White Sox decided to move Rowand into the RBI-friendly confines of the Nos. 5-7 spots this past season. Rowand proved to be much less effective there, as his average dipped to .270 and his home-run total to 13. Rowand also has an allergic reaction to drawing walks - he collected just 32 free passes in ‘05 - while striking out a lot (a career-high 116 last season).

Rowand should have a chance to reclaim his preferred No. 2 spot in the batting order with the Phils. The right-handed hitter is expected to bat behind Jimmy Rollins and ahead of Abreu.

The trade paves the way for the Phillies to shop an outfielder. Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu are star-quality players with huge contracts. How much of those deals the Phillies would have to pick up would depend upon the player or players coming in return -- in the Phillies’ case, they would seek a solid starting pitcher for either Abreu or Burrell.

If no attractive deals come for either of them, then there is a good chance that Jason Michaels will be dealt. Michaels, a right-handed hitter, did a good job in a center-field platoon with left-handed-hitting Kenny Lofton last season. However, with Rowand in center, Michaels’ playing time would evaporate. Michaels, who hit .304 and had 54 runs scored and a .399 on-base percentage in 105 games (68 starts), is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and is an attractive, affordable outfielder for low-budget clubs.

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