Jim Thome said Monday morning that he is not officially retired.

But he has no immediate plans to play in 2014. Thome was hired this past summer by the White Sox to serve as a special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn. The 43-year-old seems doubtful to return to the field.

Jim Thome has been hired by the White Sox to serve as a special assistant to the general manager.

Which presumably means that his playing career is over. Thome was telling people as recently as May that he wanted to sign with a major league team, but nothing ever came about. The 42-year-old played for the White Sox for four years (2006-2009) and was beloved.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Jim Thome still hopes to continue his career.

"He still thinks he can play," said Manuel. "He misses the game. Baseball is his identity. That's all he's done for 20-some years or so. He's kind of having a hard time adjusting." The 42-year-old wasn't able to find the right fit this winter, but he's currently training in Arizona in hopes of latching on with a team at some point this season. We wouldn't rule out the chance that he'll surface with an American League club as a part-time DH or bench bat. He currently ranks seventh all-time with 612 home runs.

Lavelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that the chances of the Twins signing Jim Thome are "very slim."

"I would doubt there would be any outside solutions,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said of adding someone to the team's bench. Gardy reportedly would like the club to bring in Thome, but the higher-ups don't appear to have interest in making it happen. Thome, 42, is interested in continuing his career, but it looks like he'll start the season without a team.

Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com reports that Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wants the club to sign Jim Thome.

Wolfson says there's "mutual interest," but the holdup could be that Thome is insisting on a major league deal. The Twins already have a few players capable of shifting back-and-forth between DH, first base and corner outfield duties, so there probably wouldn't be a ton of at-bats available for the 42-year-old. Thome is sitting on 612 career homers but isn't ready to call it a career just yet.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Indians are no longer pursuing veteran slugger Jim Thome.

The Indians considered the possibility, but they don't one to commit the roster spot to one player. Thome, 42, is working out in hopes of playing his 23rd season in the majors. He's currently sitting on 612 career homers, which is seventh on the all-time list.

Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that free agent Jim Thome "remains a possibility" for the Indians.

With Travis Hafner signing with the Yankees this week, the Indians could have interest in Thome on a low-risk contract to serve as a part-time designated hitter. The 42-year-old batted .252/.344/.442 with eight homers, 25 RBI and a .786 OPS in 186 plate appearances between the Phillies and Orioles this past season, and claims to be fully healthy after dealing with neck and back injuries in 2012.

According to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, the Orioles are not an ideal fit for Jim Thome in 2013, as manager Buck Showalter would like to use the DH spot to rotate in-and-out, and give rest to some of his regular players.

The 42-year-old slugger is currently working out and interested in listening to offers. He would prefer to be a DH, but would be willing to take a job as a bench bat depending on the situation.

Jim Thome told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he would like to play in 2013.

"I'm not retired," said Thome. "If someone wants me to play, I'd consider it for sure. I feel good. If I didn't feel good, I wouldn't even consider it. But I feel good. I'd like to play." Thome, 42, is currently working out and is interested in listening to offers. While he thinks he'd fit best as a designated hitter, he's willing to be a bench bat in the right situation. The future Hall of Famer batted .252/.344/.442 with eight homers, 25 RBI and a .786 OPS in 186 plate appearances between the Phillies and Orioles this past season.

Jim Thome is undecided on whether he'll play in 2013 or retire.

The news comes from Thome's former manager Charlie Manuel, who spoke to the 42-year-old earlier this week. ƒ?oI think if somebody shows interest in him, he might [return],ƒ?? Manuel said. ƒ?oYou know, I think heƒ?Ts one of those guys who is having a hard time trying to leave.ƒ?? Thome was limited to just 58 games in 2012, batting .252/.344/.442 with eight homers. If he does play in 2013, he'd surely have to settle for a job as a part-time DH.

Orioles GM Dan Duquette said he hasn't had any contact with Jim Thome and isn't sure whether he intends to play next season.

Thome batted .252/.344/.442 with eight home runs and 25 RBI in 58 games between the Phillies and Orioles in 2012. The 42-year-old free agent is believed to be considering retirement and hasn't decided whether he'll return for another season.

Jim Thome is in the Orioles' starting lineup for Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday night against the Yankees.

Nate McLouth will lead off and J.J. Hardy will bat second. Behind those two, the O's order goes Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds, Thome, Manny Machado and Robert Andino. The Orioles lost Game 1 of the five-game series on Sunday night at Camden Yards.

Jim Thome, in his first game back since returning from the DL, smashed an RBI double in the 12th inning on Saturday to lead the Orioles to a critical 9-6 victory over the Red Sox in Boston.

Thome had been 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts heading into his final at-bat, but his clutch run-scoring knock more than made up for it. Adam Jones doubled off Alfredo Aceves to start the inning, and after a fly out, Thome came through in a big way. The 42-year-old slugger is hitting .248/.340/.445 with seven homers and 22 RBI in his 137 at-bats on the season.

Orioles activated DH Jim Thome from the 15-day disabled list.

Thome has been out since the end of July with a herniated disk in his neck but is ready to receive occasional DH duty for the O's down the stretch. He's batted .252/.347/.450 with seven homers over 48 games this season.

Barring a setback, Jim Thome (neck) will be activated from the disabled list Friday.

Thome, who has been out since the end of July with a herniated disk in his neck, played in a simulated game Monday and evidently didn't have any issues. He should receive occasional DH duty for the O's down the stretch.

Jim Thome (neck) is scheduled to play in a simulated game Monday.

Thome is close to being ready to contribute, and will be reevaluated later this week. If all goes as planned, he'll return as a part-time designated hitter for the Orioles.

Jim Thome (neck) could return within a week.

Thome has been swinging a bat regularly for the past several days. He probably won't be 100 percent healthy when he returns, but the veteran slugger can still provide some punch off the bench for the first-place Orioles.

Jim Thome (neck) took 40 dry swings Friday.

Good news. We heard on Thursday that Thome was being "slowed down" by doctors, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter believes that the veteran slugger should be back later this month.

Jim Thome (neck) has been "slowed down" a bit by doctors.

Thome is itching to get back, but there's still no timetable for his return. The future Hall of Famer has been sidelined since the end of July with a herniated disk in his neck.

Jim Thome (neck) is scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday.

Out since July 31 with a herniated disk in his neck, Thome is feeling better and could conceivably be cleared to rejoin the Orioles soon. He's batting .252/.347/.450 with seven homers this season.