MINNEAPOLIS — Jim Thome has hit 57 of his 564 career home runs against the Minnesota Twins.

Now it's time to even it out a little.

Thome and the Twins agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, allowing the 39-year-old slugger to return to the division he knows well and to play for a contender with his time in baseball winding down.

Even though he'll be more of a bench player than the middle-of-the-lineup-force he's been for 19 seasons, Thome was eager to join one of his longtime rivals.

"They were really excited about me coming there, so to me it was a no-brainer," Thome said on a conference call with local reporters. "