Take Him, Please

Earlier this week, George King reported in the NY Post that the Angels are interested in Jason Giambi, obviously pending his whole steroid/amphetamine investigation. If the Angels, or any team this side of Boston, want Giambi, the Yanks should help pack his backs and offer to pay for the moving trucks. This is one case where picking up a big portion of the salary will not bother me.

Since his deflation sometime between 2004 and 2005, Giambi is a shell of his former self. The ability to hit for average is gone, the home run power comes and goes in streaks, but Giambi is essentially an all or nothing homerun hitter that will punish weak pitching or a mistake pitch. He is a liability on defense, a debacle on the bases, and an unnecessary burden in the clubhouse.

Giambi’s on field performance makes him enough of an albatross, but the stirring drug investigation is a distraction this Yankees clubhouse does not need, particularly during these trying times. Baseball was not going after Giambi either, he brought all this on himself by running his mouth, and there is no doubt he would do it again.
My other gripe is his cryptic statements. If you are going to comment on the situation willingly, then come out with the truth. Using “that stuff” just opens Pandora’s box, and will make Giambi’s life difficult. While on this subject, the part about “that stuff” not helping him hit homeruns is preposterous. Why did Giambi take them then? Was steroids and amphetamines part of his long-term health plan?

Giambi looks worse than Bonds, since he is seeking sympathy while Bonds, and give him credit, puts his head down, plays, and plays just as good as he did pre-steroid testing, something Giambi has not done. If the Yankees can get Chone Figgins, nothing more than a serviceable outfielder, and rid themselves of some of Giambi’s albatross contract and headache drug problems, they should not think twice.