Bedtime Fan Fuss - Going, going, gone

As a fan I'd like to say thank you to Jim Thome for the years he spent in Philadelphia. His presence brought with it a sense of respectability for a franchise that has been bottom feeders for more than a century. When Thome stepped to the plate, it was noticed. We hadn't seen the likes of him since the great Michael Jack Schmidt decided to hang 'em up.

Yesterday I mentioned how trading Thome to the Mariners for a closer would help the team. Then today, GM Pat Gillick found a would be taker in the world-champion Chicago White Sox. The money that the Phillies will save this season from his salary compared to Aaron Rowand ($13.16 million for Thome and only $2 million for Rowand) can be used to secure a deal with a closer. Thome is owed $43.5 million over the next three seasons, so the savings, and potential room for expanding the club's depth, is phenomenal.