Will Cuddyer follow Thome to Philly?

HE WRAPPED up his business in Cleveland in September, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the eighth before Indians manager Manny Acta inserted him at third base in the top of the ninth. Jim Thome spent one pitch in the field, then walked off the Jacobs Field turf from the same position he first walked onto it 20 years before.

One month after Thome's final home game in Cleveland, he returned to another city to tie up some loose ends. This time, he hopes the homecoming is more than ceremonial.

Whether that ends up the case will be one of the most interesting, if not the most consequential, plot lines to follow once spring training begins a little over 3 months from now. Apart from his symbolic appearance at third base in late-September, Thome has not played an inning in the field since 2007. In fact, he has played just 20 innings there since leaving Philadelphia, where his signing had hearkened a new era of promise that was ultimately filled 3 years after he departed.

But the Phillies say they did not agree to pay Thome $1.25 million to fill in at first base in 2012, when Ryan Howard could start the season on the disabled list while finishing his recovery from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles' tendon. In a perfect world, he will be able to whip his 41-year-old body into shape this offseason and knock off enough rust in spring training to fill in on a limited basis. Regardless, the Phillies signed Thome for two reasons: his powerful lefthanded bat, something that was lacking on the bench last season, and his magnetic charm, which made him a fan-favorite in Philadelphia for three seasons.

"Everyone knows my relationship with Jimmy," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who was his hitting coach in Cleveland and has remained close to the slugger ever since. "But he's not here because of that. He's here to contribute to our team in a positive way, both on and off the field."

The question is, how much will he able to contribute? And will those opportunities be worth the salary and roster spot that Thome will occupy?