Thome's deal includes $1.4 million in incentives

Twins slugger has a chance to make $4.4 million if he reaches 400 plate appearances.

January 18, 2011 at 4:25PM

Jim Thome's new one-year, $3 million contract with the Twins could pay him an additional $1.4 million in incentives for plate appearances, a person familiar with the deal told the Star Tribune.

These are the incentive levels:

* $200,000 once he reaches 200 plate appearances

* Another $300,000 when he reaches 300 PA

* Another $300,000 when he reaches 350 PA

* Another $300,000 when he reaches 400 PA

Those are heftier bonuses than Thome had built into last year's contract, which paid him a base salary of $1.5 million. Thome received $100,000 for reaching 250 PA, and another $100K for reaching 300 PA, finished the season with 340 PA.

Ken Rosenthal, of FoxSports.com, reported that Thome turned down a $4 million offer from the Rangers to return to the Twins, but it's unclear if the Texas offer included a similar bonus structure.

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about the writer

about the writer

Joe Christensen

Sports team leader

Joe Christensen, a Minnesota Star Tribune sports team leader, graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent 15 years covering Major League Baseball, including stops at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Baltimore Sun. He joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2005 and spent four years covering Gophers football.

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