PHILADELPHIA – Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and now Jim Thome. The Cleveland Indians just haven’t been able to keep their sluggers.

Thome, the most coveted hitter in the free-agent market, agreed Monday to a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, two baseball officials said. He accepted a deal worth about $87.5 million, one of the officials said on the condition of anonymity.

For the deal to become final, the 32-year-old first baseman must pass a physical.

The Phillies, unwilling to spend money in the past, are aggressively trying to improve as they prepare to move into their new ballpark in 2004.

Philadelphia agreed to a $17 million, four-year contract with third baseman David Bell Nov. 24. The Phillies also have a $30 million, three-year offer out to free agent left-hander Tom Glavine, a two-time NL Cy Young award winner.

Phillies general manager Ed Wade wouldn’t discuss whether Thome had signed. He said negotiations with Glavine are in the “critical stage.”

The Indians are going the other direction after a near decade of dominance in the AL Central.

Belle left Cleveland after the 1996 season for a five-year, $55 million contract from the Chicago White Sox that made him baseball’s highest-paid player at that time.

Ramirez got an eight-year, $160-million contract from the Boston Red Sox two years ago.

Thome, who hit a club-record 52 homers for the Indians last season, turned down a $60 million, five-year offer from the only team he has played for since he was a 13th-round pick in the 1989 amateur draft. The left-handed slugger has a .287 batting average, 334 homers and 927 RBI in a 12-year major league career.

“Coming up in the Indians system, Jimmy was a guy everyone looked up to,” Cleveland second baseman John McDonald said. “I always wanted to play next to him, and I’m just sorry I won’t ever get a chance to do that again.”

Thome hit .304 with 118 RBI, 122 walks and a .445 on-base percentage last season. He has hit at least 30 homers seven straight years and has driven in more than 100 runs in six of the last seven seasons.

While Bell takes over at third base from All-Star Scott Rolen, traded to St. Louis last summer, Thome replaces Rolen’s power in the middle of a lineup that includes Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell.