Thome is the first player in club history to hit his 500th career home run while in a White Sox uniform.
This was the first deal between the crosstown rivals since the Cubs traded pitcher Jon Garland for White Sox reliever Matt Karchner in the middle of the 1998 season.
A deal that involved trading Garland to the Houston Astros for outfielder Willy Taveras and pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh was reported to have been agreed upon, but general manager Ken Williams backed out of the trade at the last minute, due to health concerns for Buchholz.
Williams traded first baseman Ross Gload to the Kansas City Royals for reliever Andrew Sisco.
On December 6, starting pitcher Freddy García was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitching prospects Gavin Floyd and Gio González, who was initially traded to the Phillies by the White Sox in the Jim Thome deal a year prior.