January 7, 2009
Report: Giambi Signs 1 Year Deal with A's
Not to toot my own horn, but I predicted this signing over a year ago (Giambi's, not his mustache's). It just makes sense for the A's, as they've developed a tradition of looking for value in post-prime, high on-base, high slugging players whose value has taken a hit (David Justice, Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, Mike Sweeney). Billy Beane is always looking for hidden value; and injury risks who are past their prime are probably discriminated against more so than they deserve (especially when it's clear that pharmaceuticals have hastened their bodies' deterioration...cough, cough, cough....).
I'm happy for Jason, because although the guy clearly performed below expectations, he always was kind and affable, and probably boosted the clubhouse morale. So what that left fielders took naps during his at-bats? And so what that second-baseman could rob him of homeruns? And so what that his averages the two years before signing with the Yankees were .333 and .342 (I shit you not)?
In all seriousness, his first season with the Yankees (2002) was just what they paid for, and four of the next six seasons were acceptable (with the exceptions of pituitary '04, and pisuckitary '07).
Giambi finishes his Yankee career ranked in the top 10 Yankees of all-time in:
On-Base % (6th)
Slugging % (7th)
OPS (7th)
Home Runs (10th)
AB/HomeRun (3rd, ahead of Mantle, Maris, and Reggie)
HBP (3rd)
I'm not sure what's more impressive, being third on the Yankees' list of HR/AB, or HBP? If you're curious, the two guys ahead of Giambi in AB/HR were Babe Ruth and Arod.
Only time will tell if Jason's days with the Yankees are remembered fondly, for 5 seasons of over 30 homeruns, or negatively, because he replaced a Yankee legend in Tino Martinez, and his signing effectively signaled the end of the Yankees' Dynasty of the '96-'01.
How will you guys remember Jason's Yankee career?
I'll always remember him hitting two solo homers in Game 7 of the '03 ALCS, keeping the Yankees in the game just long enough for them to knock Pedro out, tie the game, and eventually win the series on Boone's swing. If you think of it, that game is kind of a microcosm of Giambi's career with the Yanks. He hit homeruns, yet his presence was not enough to carry the team.
Regardless of his shortcomings, I wish Jason well for the duration of his career, and appreciate the memories he gave us.
Discussion
6 Comments on "Report: Giambi Signs 1 Year Deal with A's"
#1
Posted by JD, January 7, 2009 9:15 PM
Good for him. Giambi was a sinner but he had a lot of company. He took an enormous public beating and handled it with a fair degree of courage. Obviously things did not work out the way we hoped but I don't think that we can say that it was a bust.
Jason was a hole at first base defensively and really should be a DH. Unfortunately, he has never been a great DH. The decline in his stats tells only part of the story. Jason has become a hitter that hits reasonably well against mediocre pitching. The real decline in his performance is hitting against frontline starters and top flight relievers. As a consequence, Jason has little value to the Yankees because he will not hit well in the playoffs.
#3
Posted by gianthinker, January 8, 2009 6:34 AM
I cant believe I’m about to say this but I was thinking about our #5 situation. Listen, I love Hughes and think he’ll still be a star. Aceves and Coke did a great job for us in their respective roles and who knows what their potential is? However, Pettitte was important to us because of our pitch counts on our young guys. If he’s not coming back and we aren’t going to sign Ollie Perez, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets or Jon Garland then why not re-sign Sidney Ponson? I thought it was a joke signing last season but he really over-achieved and probably rightfully deserves another shot. If we’re going to have the young guys in the minors ready to go anyway why not give Ponson a chance to come into came and lock down the #5 spot? If he doesn’t make it we can designate him or whatever. I’d think that would be a low-risk high-reward signing if I could think of one. Ponson? He’s certainly not great by any means but he’d fit our short term starter plans and we saw he can hold up in our division. I’ve decided I’m all for it. What do you guys think? Couldn’t hurt right?
#4
Posted by Matt Agne, January 8, 2009 10:35 AM
I really really really really hope Ca$hman comes around to signing Ben Sheets. Dude has a 3.72 career ERA. He’s averaged 178.5 inning per year over his 8 year career. He’s 30 years old. I know he’s a bit of an injury risk but he has a horrible market for himself with basically only the Rangers chasing him. Maybe he wouldn’t but I’d think he’d be willing to take a bit less (which with his market he might get the same type offers anyway) to be the #5 (you could argue the #4) on the Yankees STACKED rotation/roster instead of being the ace on a none competitive Rangers squad. I know I’d rather have a chance for a ring more than a little more money. The Yankees should be able to sign him to a short term deal (1, 2, 3 years). He might take a 1 year deal to be a FA again next off-season. I just think first of all that he’s a very good pitcher with ace stuff and he’s being very dis-respected this off-season. We should take advantage of the fact he’s still out there and fill in the extra innings we need with the guy who started the All-Star game for the NL. The Brewers cant get a second 1st RD pick from us. IMO he’d be a monster signing on top of CC, AJ and Teix. I really think we should go for it. The best case we would have had Pettitte come back but we really cant afford to try to fill 2 rotation spots with pitch-count starters. IF we bring Sheets in we’d still have Hughes, Aceves, Coke and others to fill in when someone gets hurt. If we dont bring someone in our first fill in option (Hughes) wont be there because he’ll already be filling in a rotation spot which makes our pitching “depth” weaker. Hughes could use the extra minor league time anyway. BRING BEN SHEETS TO THE YANKEES AND LETS GO GET THIS CHAMPIONSHIP RING!!!
#5
Posted by Tom Gaffney, January 8, 2009 7:45 PM
He may well be a good guy and everything, but to me, he will always be a massive disappointment. Here's a guy who hit .315, .332, and .343 in the three years b4 becoming a Yankee. He hit .314 in his first Yankee season and proceeded to become entirely a mistake hitter from thence forward with averages of .250, .208, .271, .253, .236, and .247.
We acquired an all-around superstar bat and got a mistake hitter instead. We bought a player inflated (both figuratively and literally) by steroids whose balloon was about to pop. I can't even think of Giambi without thinking disappointment.
#6
Posted by pete c., January 9, 2009 8:19 PM
Can't disagree, Tom. The part that angered me most was, he basically was a hitter 1st 2nd and always, who wouldn't use the whole field. A poor fielder at best, and a dead pull hitter when he came to the Bronx. I remember SI gave him the cover after he signed and waxed poetic about how he was just what the Yanks needed because he had power plus could hit for the situation and utilize his gap power. So much for that, the worst thing about his refusal to use the entire field was he cost them offence at times when a single to left was all they needed. This is someone who was considered a team guy. Baffling.
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