The Chicago White Sox have decided to buy out the contract of designated hitter Frank Thomas at a cost of $3.5 million. On Monday, Thomas had exercised his player option at $10 million but the club had five days to make its decision. He can now file for free agency, but the White Sox can still negotiate with the veteran slugger. 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. "There should be no question about the respect this organization has for Frank and all that he has helped us accomplish, including a World Series championship," said White Sox general manager Ken Williams in a statement. "He is the greatest hitter in White Sox history. At the same time, it is my responsibility to make the best decisions I can on behalf of the organization. Our plan is to continue to speak with Frank and his representatives over the coming months as more information is known about his health." The 37-year-old Thomas 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 agreed to terms on a one-year deal with catcher Chris Widger. The 34-year-old veteran batted .241 with four homers and 11 runs batted in as a backup to A.J. Pierzynski in his first season with the White Sox.