Weekly Poll: Should the Twins Bring Jim Thome Back?

Last week’s poll question elicited enough of a response that I’ve decided to make this a weekly feature throughout the offseason. Well, plus I have finals coming up and I don’t have much time to write anything too substantive between now and 2012 Christmas. Again, I’ll leave the poll open for a week then post a brief write-up about the results (It’s also in the sidebar for some reason, but you can vote wherever you choose.  The results will be the same).

Jim Thome’s agent recently confirmed that the 40 year-old slugger is planning to return for the 2011 season, and he’s been in talks with the Twins, among a few other teams. We all know how great Thome was for the Twins last year, so bringing him back seems like a no-brainer, but he will be a year older and he really can’t do much else besides mash taters (though that in and of itself is enormously entertaining to watch). Parker Hageman has already weighed the pros and cons of bringing back the vanquisher of Pale Hose postseason hopes, and I suggest you read his excellent post. This bit in particular sums up my feelings on the subject perfectly:

"Because the Twins have to run a 162-game marathon before they can even enter the three-game sprint, the focus should be on conditioning for the long run before the short burst. If they can acquire a viable, inexpensive right-handed option like one of the few listed above, the Twins will be better prepared for the post-season than they were a year ago. If they forgo that route to retain Thome, they still have a roster capable of inflicting plenty of damage as well and the possibility of finding right-handed help, if need be."

I don’t have much else to add, so let’s just get to the poll: