Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas has exercised the $10 million option on his contract for 2006, but the club can still buy out the deal and has five days to make that decision. Thomas appeared in just 34 games for the White Sox during the 2005 season and was not on the postseason roster for their run to the World Series title. He began the year on the disabled list while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, then made his season-debut on May 31 but went back on the DL on July 21 with a second fracture in the left ankle and missed the remainder of the season. The 37-year-old veteran batted just .219, but 12 of his 23 hits went for home runs and he also drove in 26 runs. Thomas, a five-time All-Star and AL MVP in 1993 and '94, is a career .307 hitter with 448 home runs and 1,465 RBI in 1,959 career games -- all with the White Sox. The White Sox also announced a move to exercise the 2006 option on pitcher Cliff Politte for $1.2 million, while declining the option for designated hitter Carl Everett, who received a $500,000 buyout. Politte was 7-1 this past season with a 2.00 earned run average and 57 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings over 68 appearances. Everett batted .251 with 23 homers and 87 runs batted in. He ranked second on the club in RBI and third in home runs.