Report: Phillies shopping Jim Thome to American League teams as a DH

Two American League executives told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that the Philadelphia Phillies are quietly shopping Jim Thome to AL clubs in need of a designated hitter.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. would not confirm to Stark that he had already talked to other teams, but he wouldn't rule out dealing Thome.

"The ideal situation right now, because he can't really play defense in the National League, would be for Jim to play in the American League," Amaro said. "He still has the ability to win a game for us and be productive off the bench. The problem is, the further away he gets from regular at-bats, the more difficult it becomes for him to do that. So we'll see what happens. We'll keep in contact with some clubs and see if there's the right fit out there for Jim and for the Phillies."

In a recent stretch of nine consecutive games as a DH during interleague play, Thome hit .333 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.137 OPS.