The Toronto Blue Jays, starting to reshape their roster for the 2007 season, are on the verge of signing veteran slugger Frank Thomas to a two-year deal.

A source close to the talks said late Wednesday night that an agreement was near with only the final details remaining to be ironed out. Reports suggest the contract could be worth US$20 million and contain an option for 2009.

Barring any last-minute setbacks, the addition of Thomas gives the Blue Jays another major dose of thump in what was an already potent lineup. His presence in the batting order could also mean they can sacrifice some offence for defence while filling their needs for a shortstop and catcher.

It's unclear how much the signing eats into their payroll for next season or how much general manager J.P. Ricciardi has left to spend. The club is expected to have somewhere between $85-$95 million for player salaries in 2007, with $10-$20 million of that available to spend.

The Blue Jays have kept that information very close to the vest.

Ricciardi would also like to add a starting pitcher and re-sign some of his own free agents, including lefty Ted Lilly, outfielder Frank Catalanotto and catchers Gregg Zaun and Bengie Molina.

Thomas, 38, has 487 career homer runs over 17 big-league seasons and should reach the 500-homer plateau next season. He's also a patient hitter who rarely makes easy outs.

Thomas is also a significant upgrade at DH for the Blue Jays, who used Shea Hillenbrand and a series of other players in the role. Toronto tied for 12th among American League teams last season with just 16 home runs from its DH spot.

The two-time American League MVP led the Oakland Athletics with 39 homers and 114 RBIs while batting .270. He was also credited with providing strong leadership on a young team that often felt like a frathouse.

Thomas signed a US$500,000 contract with Oakland after two-injury shortened seasons with the Chicago White Sox and he earned $2.6 million in bonuses. He played in 137 games this year after missing all but 108 games the past two seasons.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane told The Associated Press on Tuesday he had spoken to Thomas' agent, Arn Tellem, earlier in the day.

``He's exploring the market,'' Beane said. ``He'll probably get back to us and we'll decide to either match it or not.''

Oakland made a two-year offer to Thomas after the season ended.