Repeat After Me "Giambi Wasn't a Bust"

Jason Giambi has not been a New York Yankee since 2008 & ever since his last appearance; the masses have only been saying one thing about him.  Bust.  That could not be further from the truth.  Did he live up to the contract that was awarded to him based on his previous three seasons in Oakland beforehand?  Definitely not.  The Yankees thought that they were getting a high average offensive threat that was going to hit close to 40 bombs a year.

That version of Giambi was alive & well during the first year of his contract but that was the only year we would see it.  Having said that, it doesn’t make the guy a bust by any stretch of the imagination when you look at his offensive output for the rest of his Yankee career.  In 2004 and 2007, the guy wasn’t healthy and the numbers represent that. 

>He was no longer a high average hitter but Batting Average, while important, is not the be all and end all for batting statistics.  Personally, I am more interested in a player’s On-Base Percentage.  The lowest OBP that Giambi put up during his healthy Yankee seasons was in 2008, when his was .373.  To go with that, he was sporting an .876 OPS.  Power-wise, that may not be what the Yankees signed up for on December 13, 2001.  However, that is still an immensely effective Major League hitter, and that is in the final year of his contract.  During the course of the contract, he would put up OBP’s of .435, .412, .342 (injury shortened year), .440, .413, .356 (injury shortened year), and .373.  Except for a respectable .271 batting average in 2005 and his monster year in 2002, the average was always relatively low. 

When you look at the On-Base Percentages and his power output throughout his Yankee days, you cannot possibly call him a bust.  The inevitable comparisons have already begun and those are between the Giambino and Mark Teixeira.  Frustrated fans over the past three years have seen Mark go from all-around offensive threat to a more one dimensional homerun hitter.  They have said things like “Great, he’s turning into Giambi.”  Now, Teixeira has plenty of time to return to his 2009 form but comparing him to Giambi as if that is a bad thing, is an insult to Giambi. 

In 2009, Tex put up an On-Base Percentage of .383, which is fantastic and pretty much on par with what he has done throughout his career.  But we’re not comparing their careers as a whole; we are talking about what they have done as members of the New York Yankees.  Now, thus far .383 is Tex’s peak (for now).  By comparison, Giambi’s peak OBP with the Yankees is .440.  I mentioned what his lowest OBP was earlier in the article, and that is merely ten points lower than Teixeira’s highest.  Yet, people are calling Giambi a bust?  If he’s a bust, what does that say about Mark Teixeira? 

Before you begin with the baseless insults that make absolutely no sense, I am not calling Teixeira (I hate spelling this name) a bust.  I am simply putting out there that if this trend continues, those screaming about Tex “turning into Giambi” offensively would only be so lucky.  Those people that look only at Batting Average need to check the rest of Giambi’s baseball card because he was an offensive beast as a Yankee.  Worth the salary?  Nope, but then, who is?  Bust? Not even remotely close…now I want all of you to repeat that until it finally sinks in.

Twitter: @trevwolff

Mark Teixeira = Jason Giambi ?

Soon after Mark Teixeira signed that huge 8-year, $180 million deal back in 2008, I stumbled across an interesting comparison, talking about how Tex could go down the same path as Jason Giambi, who had just finished his 7-year deal with the Bombers.

When I first heard this, I couldn't help but laugh. Giambi was a steroid-user, DL prone for a good part of his contract, and couldn't play first base for his life. Teixeira was arguably the best switch hitter in baseball, and arguably the best first basemen defensively in the league. Teix was a shoe in to dominate and hit .300 every season, and become the new face of the Yankees for years to come.

Or so I thought.

After a terrific 2009 season in which he batted .292 with 39 homers and 122 RBI, Teix's average dropped 36 points the following year, and another 13 in 2011 where he batted .243. Sound familiar?

In Giambi's first year in pinstripes, he batted .314, but out of the blue batted .250 in 2003, and played in only 80 games in 2004, where he batted .208. The final four seasons - .271, .253, .235, .247. Mediocre, and certainly not worth the $120 million George Steinbrenner was paying him. The home runs and RBI were still there, but when he wasn't driving in runs he was striking out, popping out weakly, or killing rallies.

Unfortunately it's not unlikely to say that's what Teixeira will do in his final 5 years of his deal. A promising young star when he signed, Tex is now 31 and this is when he should be putting up his best numbers, not his worst. There's still a chance he could turn it around, but to me, the only way for that to happen is for Teixeira to stop hitting left-handed. 

Teixeira is still a career .304 hitter from the right side, but .271 from the left. As is the case with most switch hitters, Mark has much more power from the left (227 home runs) than the right (86 home runs). But making him a solely right-handed batter would be huge as far as the overall production the Yankees would get out of Mark .

Sure, Tex's power would drop, but 25 home runs is still likely. What should be guaranteed is a return to hitting for average and a huge increase in OBP. More doubles, more RBI. You name it. Making Tex a right-handed batter would show incredible improvement and a return to form of the guy the Yankees signed him to be.

However, the likelihood of this happening is not good at all, and it's likely Tex will continue to switch hit and decline. The fans still have his back, as do I, but another year of batting .250 and not hitting in the clutch will make them think back to the days of gold thongs, the 'Stache, and seasons of Yankee playoff failure.

A's Release the Giambino

The Oakland A's released former Yankees Jason Giambi today (hat-tip to WasWatching.com). His body has quickly broken down, and this year he stopped hitting all together.

He was hitting just .193/.332/.364 with 11 HR and 40 RBI in 83 games this season for Oakland. It's looks like this could be the end of the road for The Big G.

The Giambino Pumped to be Back in Bronx

Here are a few quote from Jason about his return to the Bronx, this time as a visitor for the first time since 2001. These quotes come from articles written by Peter Abraham, Sean Brennan, and Brian Lewis.

On the new stadium:

"It's gorgeous, I mean it's gigantic but it's like, gorgeous," Giambi said of his first impressions of the new Yankee Stadium. "I'm sure it's like when people first walked into the Titanic, when they first walked into that place. I mean it's enormous. I was excited to come back and see the new Stadium. It's an incredible place."

On playing in New York:

"There is no real place on the planet like this," Giambi said. "I gave my heart and soul when I played here, there's no doubt about it. You know, every day, showing up ready to play. I had some good times and some bad times, but for the most part, I look at them as they were incredible times."

"I had a great time, I had fun here coming every day and playing in front of a packed house," Giambi said. "It was exciting. But it's also fun to be back where you started from, kind of that full circle."

"The biggest thing I miss is (the Bleacher Creatures') roll call," Giambi said of the tradition that has carried across the street. "There's no doubt about it, it's the best thing in baseball."

He also said he'd like to hit his first homer of the season in the new stadium:

"I'd like to hit my first one here," he said. "I'll take it."

With that jetstream in right field I don't think that going to be too much of a problem for the Giambino.

Cashman Denies Giambi Anecdote (UPDATED)

I don't know if you know about this, I sure didn't, but there is a story about Brian Cashman and Jason Giambi in a soon to be released book about Roger Clemens. The book is called, “The Rocket That Fell to Earth,” and it's written by Jeff Pearlman. Here's more from the New York Time:

The book said that when Giambi went through a slump in the 2002 season, his first with the Yankees, Cashman was heard yelling at a television in the Yankees’ clubhouse during a game. Citing “one New York player,” the book said that Cashman screamed, “Jason, whatever you were taking in Oakland,” get back on it.

The book said that Cashman then added, “Please!”

As one might expect, Cashman denied the story:

“That is completely false,” Cashman said.

He added, in reference to the author: “This guy never even called me and asked me if it was true. You think he would have done some fact-checking.”

But Pearlman stands behind his account of the story:

“The source was a Yankee player who was an eyewitness and in whom I have 100 percent confidence,” Pearlman said.

But he acknowledged that he should have called Cashman for his reaction. “He’s totally right,” Pearlman said. “I didn’t call him for comment and I should have.

“But that doesn’t mean the story isn’t correct.”

Could this anonymous Yankee player just be angry at Cashman for some reason so he's throwing this out there to make him look bad? Possibly. But at the same time it's also possible this story is true.

All you had to do was look at Giambi back then to know he did roids. I remember talking about it with friends of mine back when they signed him. If we know then Cashman and the Yankees had to know that Giambi had done something too. Otherwise, why would the Yankees specifically remove any mention of steroids from Giambi's contract? So I don't think it's that much of a stretch that Cashman would say something like this.

UPDATE 12:27 p.m.: Jason, from It is about the money, stupid, landed this quote from Pearlman:

"...I mean, the one thing I'll say—that you can write—is that, when it comes to performance-enhancers in baseball, Cashman's track record is brutally bad. He didn't merely employ users of performance-enhancers, but he signed three: Jose Canseco, Kevin Brown, Jason Giambi—who were known throughout the baseball world for their ways. We couldn't report it, because we, the media, didn't have proof. But all three were discussed among players ... writers ... executives; it was hardly a secret. So if Cashman wants to play the 'I had no idea, and any suggestion that I did have an idea is ludicrous!' card, well, I find it hard to fathom. That doesn't make him different than many (if any) of his GM peers, but it's odd to watch all these players go down in flames, while executives who paid huge salaried for 'enhanced' players walk away clean, with their jobs and reputations without stain."

Well, he has a point.

Giambi: "I’ll thank Derek until the day I die"

From Bob Klapisch:

Jason Giambi has been closely following the Alex Rodriguez-vigil from 2,500 miles away, safely embedded in the A’s hysteria-free universe. After seven years in the Bronx, Giambi says returning to his Oakland roots is like coming home to a soft, feathery bed.

Still, Giambi is a Yankee emeritus, which means he’s in sync with every last detail of A-Rod’s fall from grace — if only because it mirrored his. Both sluggers were exposed as steroid users, both confessed (to some degree) and both were publicly rescued by Derek Jeter.

Well, at least Giambi was, and he’s not ashamed to say it was Jeter who saved his Yankee career.

“I’ll thank Derek until the day I die,” Giambi was saying Thursday. “What he did for me, after what I’d been through, made it possible for me to keep playing in New York. The fans forgave me because of Derek. I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life.”

If you don't remember Jeter said at the time that, “When you’re a team, everyone is one family. We’re going to be there to support [Giambi] because he’s one of us.”

Klapisch goes on to point out the difference between how Jeter defended Giambi and A-Rod:

Much has been made about Jeter’s tepid support of A-Rod, a syringe-user who stands only a few feet to the shortstop’s right. It took the captain two weeks to issue a pardon to Rodriguez, but nevertheless made sure to drive home the following point: I’m not like him.

If you think that’s just Jeter’s way, self-contained and understated, remember how wide a berth he created for Giambi after the first baseman testified at the BALCO grand jury after the 2004 season.

Giambi returned to New York in shame; the Yankees explored ways to get out of the remainder of the $125 million contract. But Jeter was undeterred. He likened Giambi to a brother who deserved a second chance.

What's your take, is there a major difference in how Jeter defended A-Rod compared to he stood by Giambi four years ago?

Personally I think there is a difference but not enough that should create a controversy.

Anyway, back to the aritcle... Here's Giambi's take on how A-Rod has handled his steroid situation:

“Alex did OK,” Giambi said finally. “The hard part is saying you did it, so at least that’s over for him.”

But did Rodriguez tell the whole truth? Giambi winced, as if to say: please don’t ask me that.

Giambi Opines About "The Yankee Years"

From Lisa Guerrero:

I spoke Wednesday with Jason Giambi, who certainly had mixed feelings about his former manager's decision to write it, something he's known about for quite a while because of a phone call he received from the publisher's fact-checker. These are his first public comments about the book.

"It's definitely hurtful," he told me. "When you play together that long, you're family. There's a certain trust involved. We were always like 'keep everything in-house, especially in New York with that media.' I was surprised to hear that he was writing a book ... he meant so much to that town. But from his point of view you can respect it. He had to get things off his chest," referring to Torre's bitter exit from the Yankees.

When I asked if writing the book violated the trust of his former team, Giambi said, "That's hard to answer. We were all going in the same direction, we were a family. I can see how other guys will be hurt by it."

Then Giambi offers, "It's hard to know what came from Verducci and what came from Torre," referring to Tom Verducci, who co-authored the book. "That guy was always hanging around."

"Look, he's a great manager, he really is. I haven't talked to Joe about the book yet ... someday."

Regarding A-Rod, Giambi had this to say:

"Alex is the best player in the game," Giambi said. "People gravitate towards negativity with him because that's the only way you hold somebody down who's that good."

Nothing really wrong with anything he said, and coming from Giambi, at least we know he meant it.

Asked if he cared about Torre calling him a defensive liability Giambi had this to say:

"I'm OK with it. I knew what my job was. I came to New York to drive in runs."

Lego Giambi

Look at this Jason Giambi Lego figure. And yes, that's the infamous slump-busting gold thong.

I found this over on Home Run Derby, and they found it on Red Sox Monster, who found it on Flickr. So hat tips all around.

There are also figures of Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, David Wright, and Carlos Delgado.

Torre Was Not Happy With The Makeup of The Post-2001 Teams

From Neil Best:

Beyond the blunt critiques of Alex Rodriguez and rising tensions with Brian Cashman, one theme dominates "The Yankee Years," the new book "co-authored" by Joe Torre:

That the Yankees of the former manager's final six seasons were a self-absorbed, overpaid imitation of the famously gritty bunch that brought him four rings in his first six years.

"It was just not an unselfish team," Torre says of the revelation that hit him in 2002.

"The team wasn't tough enough . . . A lot of those players are more concerned about what it looks like as opposed to getting dirty and just getting it done. Those other teams, they were ferocious."

I've pretty much felt the exact same way for a number of years now. I also think that the team had lost sight of the importance of a very good pitching staff since the 2003 season ended. That changed this off-season.

Here's some more quotes about certain Yanks who Torre apparently didn't like:

First Jason Giambi:

"They wanted Jason," Torre says. "George [Steinbrenner] really liked the big bopper. I was outvoted, which was fine."

Then some others:

Kevin Brown breaks his pitching hand punching a concrete pillar. "That's the most -- selfish thing I've ever seen anybody do!" Torre screams at him.

Randy Johnson? "The biggest surprise to me was how Randy Johnson could get rattled."

Carl Pavano? "The players all hated him. It was no secret."

Not many Yankees fans like these guys either, but then again, they didn't wrote a book about it. Still, I'm not angered by any of this --- Sorry guys. But with that said, that doesn't mean that I don't think Torre is wrong for airing his dirty laundry out in the public, I'm just not personally upset by it.

Even More on Torre's Book

UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: It seems that Torre/the book's main target in the book is Alex Rodriguez, and to be honest, I'm not surprised by that in the slightest. He's the target of most Yankees fans too.

Here's some more about Torre's take on A-Rod from Michael S. Schmidt:

But what stands out the most about the book are the frank, and often critical, statements that Torre makes about Alex Rodriguez,...

In the book, which was written with Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated and refers to Torre in the third person but quotes him extensively, Torre said that the clubhouse became strained after Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees before the 2004 season.

“Alex monopolized all the attention,” Torre said.

“We never really had anybody who craved the attention,” Torre added. “I think when Alex came over he certainly changed just the feel of the club.”

And Torre clearly had concerns about Rodriguez’s well-chronicled failures in key moments, particularly in recent postseasons. Torre said that when everything was on the line, and when Rodriguez was at the plate, Rodriguez was too often unable to “concern himself with getting the job done” and instead became distracted with “how it looks.

Rodriguez's good friend and former Yankees bullpen catcher Tom Borzello, also had some quotes about A-Rod:

“It doesn’t help,” Borzello said, referring to Rodriguez’s relationship with Jeter. “You would rather that the stars are in the same place, pulling together, but I don’t think it affected the other players. It just affected the feel in the clubhouse.”

Borzello added that he used to tell Rodriguez that he was coming to the stadium and trying to get everyone to look at him, but that they were already looking at him: “You’re Alex Rodriguez. I don’t understand that.”

So, it's not just Torre who saw some issues with A-Rod.

Peter Botte of the Daily News reports in Monday's paper that Joe Torre and Brian Cashman have already spoken about the book, and their relationship is fine.

One day after reports surfaced that Torre takes shots at the Yankee GM in his memoir "The Yankee Years," Cashman said the former Yankee skipper reached out to him by phone from Hawaii.

Cashman, who said he was "surprised" by the reports, added that he is "very comfortable" with his relationship with Torre.

"Joe Torre called me from Hawaii not too long ago actually. I just will say, I'm glad he gave me a call," Cashman said at the Baseball Writers Association's annual dinner in midtown last night, "and I think you should wait for the book."

"I will just say I'm very comfortable with the relationship I have with Joe Torre and that the Yankees have with Joe Torre," Cashman said. "He was a fantastic manager and you couldn't ask for any more than what he did for us. We had a lot of great times, more than you can count or remember, to be honest, and that's the sole focus that we all have, myself included, obviously. Despite what was in the paper today, I'm glad Joe gave me a call from Hawaii. It certainly made me feel better about what I was reading today."

Peter Abraham confirmed this.

Cashman said last night that he spoke to Torre about the book and that reports about the contents appear to be overblown. He said his relationship with Torre was fine.

If the guy he talks about in the book isn't upset, why are you?

Anyway, Joshua Robinson of the NY Times has some more info abou the book itself.

Here's what the book had to say about Carl Pavano:

According to the book, Pavano had once been at the top of Torre’s wish list. But Torre still suspected Pavano might be a problem after a chance meeting at a restaurant in West Palm Beach, Fla. At a wedding rehearsal dinner, the book says, Torre saw Pavano as awkward and ill at ease and began to worry that he might underperform in the New York crucible.

Torre’s fears materialized. Injury followed injury — including a car accident in 2006 — and Pavano seemed all too happy to take his time rehabilitating. Torre was especially irked, the book says, about Pavano’s apparent disregard for his responsibility to his teammates.

And, it seems that by spring training in 2006, Torre had caught wind of the clubhouse’s dislike for Pavano. Instead of protecting him, Torre had Pavano join the squad for their final spring training trip and effectively threw him to the wolves.

“They can see him, get on him, whatever they’re going to do to him,” Torre said in the book.

On George Steinbrenner's fading health:

Torre and Verducci make several allusions to George Steinbrenner’s waning health, citing only brief memories of conversations and phone calls. The book describes Steinbrenner’s “emotional jags,” like crying before certain games. As Torre’s time with the Yankees wore on, the once-forceful and boisterous Steinbrenner appeared increasingly passive and aloof — never more so than in the meeting that ended Torre’s tenure.

“He sat there, slightly slouched, and kept his dark glasses on in the indoor room,” the book says of Steinbrenner while the rest of the Yankees’ leadership negotiated with Torre. “At one point he got up to make himself a sandwich.”

It was clear to Torre that the old Boss had left the building.

The book also mentions that Torre had problems with Yankees president Randy Levine.

Torre was particularly disturbed, it seems, by Levine’s willingness to find a way to avoid honoring the contracts of players struggling with issues off the field. As the book puts it, “The Yankees’ reaction to a player in crisis often included exploring the possibility of getting out from under the responsibility of having to pay the player.”

The book names Chuck Knoblauch (throwing problems), Bubba Trammel (depression), Kevin Brown (breaking hand on wall), Johnny Damon (contemplating retirement), Carl Pavano (being awful) and Jason Giambi (roids) as examples of players the Yankees and Levine looked to cut ties with.

And here's what the book had to say about steroids:

Throughout the book, Torre maintains that he never knew anything was going on inside his clubhouse. But the book does describe the years when Brian McNamee, then an assistant strength coach for the team, was hanging around.

McNamee was not well liked in a clubhouse that was increasingly littered with performance-enhancing drugs, the book claims. And with a don’t-ask-don’t-tell approach to supplements, McNamee, and whatever he was supplying, became a running joke. According to the book, players would rib the teammates who showed obvious physical changes, saying things like, “He’s on Mac’s program,” or “He’s on ‘The Program.’ ”

But in the book, Torre diminishes the findings of the Mitchell report, which was heavily fed by interviews with McNamee and Kirk Radomski, a former employee in the Mets’ clubhouse and a convicted steroids dealer.

“You had two guys from New York doing all the talking in the Mitchell Report,” Torre told Verducci in the book. “That’s why you have more information on New York players. If people want to devalue the 2000 team, is that how we lost 15 out of 18 down the stretch? We dried ourselves out and then got a heavy dose for the postseason? One thing I’ve learned is that people are going to feel the way they’re going to feel, regardless of what happened.”

It should be remembered that Verducci used many different sources for this book, so when it says something like "According to the book, players would rib the teammates who showed obvious physical changes, saying things like, 'He’s on Mac’s program,'" that's not necessarily coming from Torre.

Giambi Tips Cap to Yanks as He's Welcomed Back to the Bay

The A's welcomed back Jason Giambi today at a press conference in Oakland. Giambi did not forget to give props to his former team:

Giambi made sure to thank the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization for fulfilling his "childhood dream" and letting him suit up for them the past seven seasons.

"I had the time of my life while there, but I'm excited to be home," Giambi said.

And,

“When you’re with the Yankees, you’re like a traveling rock band,” Giambi said, noting he’s eager to take part in Oakland’s rebuilding process and helping to mentor young teammates. “I played with basically 25 superstars in New York every day. They’re incredible guys and we had the time of our life.”

He also said the Mattingly stache would not make a return:

As for that Mattingly-esque mustache he sported last season, he swore it off, saying it ran its course during a hitting streak. "It was a bad look but it got hits," said Giambi, who has the workings of a Sharks playoff beard with a lot more gray hairs in there compared to his old Oakland days.

But the gold thong did go with him to Oakland:

"Oh, the gold thong will be here. It travels everywhere I go."

Giambi may have been a cheater, and he deserved all the ridicule he got for that. But he always seemed like he was a good dude, and was very likable. That's why we all shouldn't be surprised to hear the ovation he will get when he returns to the Bronx for the first time on April 20th.

Giambi Signs One-Year Deal With A's

UPDATE 4:50 p.m.: From Ken Rosenthal:

The A's have reached preliminary agreement with Giambi on a one-year contract with a club option for 2010, according to major-league sources.

...his salary with the A's is expected to be in the $5 million range.

UPDATE 12:54 p.m.: Buster Olney is now reporting that the two sides are close to a one-year deal with an option for 2010.

The deal would pay Giambi $5.25 million in '09, and a $4 million base salary for the 2010 option. There would also be a $1.25 million buyout for the second year.

From Mychael Urban:

The Rays agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Pat Burrell on Monday, dramatically increasing the likelihood of free-agent first baseman Jason Giambi returning to the A's.

An industry source told MLB.com on Monday afternoon that Oakland could sign Giambi this week, likely to a one-year deal with a possible second-year option.

A's general manager Billy Beane, who is known to have had several conversations with Giambi and his agent, Arn Tellem, cited his long-standing policy against discussing negotiations while declining comment Monday afternoon.

Good for Giambi. He'll be in a place he likes and he'll get a chance to be a major part of the A's lineup. With Giambi and Matt Holliday, the A's offense should be much improved from last year's poor performance.

Some Saturday Links

- First off Paul Catalano of Dugout Central has a great article about how the Yankees and their spending is NOT bad for baseball.

Sportswriters declared this winter: “Just declare the Yankees the champions. Why have a World Series?” “The Yankees are bad for baseball.” And my favorite, from Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer: “The New York Yankees represent the very worst of America.”

Oh, please. The Yankees are the best thing to happen to baseball. There is a reason that when the Yankees visit a city, the home team breaks attendance records. (In 2004, when the Yankees visited Los Angeles, the Dodgers recorded over 55, 000 fans in attendance, or the highest recorded attendance in 31 years – including World Series games.) There is a reason that when the Yankees play an away game on a getaway day, the game is scheduled at night, even though most teams play day games on getaway days. Why? Because the local television wants to broadcast the games at night when people are home from work, because they know they will get the highest ratings of almost any game that year.... Read On

- Peter Gammons says 2009 will be a year that celebrate youth in baseball.

In this post-amphetamine, post-HGH, post-steroids, post-whatever era, 35 is the new 40, or, as Hall of Famer Jim Bunning said in the congressional hearings three years ago, "when I played, when you turned 35, you were old." And it may be that way again, no matter how much better the nutrition, how much better the training, or how many more players are devotees of Athletes Performance Institute and its ilk.

Dave Studenmund has a great piece in this year's Hardball Times Annual about the greening of baseball, or how the game is getting younger. Studenmund points out that the decline in average age between 2007 and 2008 was the largest in major league history and that 24 of the 30 teams got younger between 2007 and 2008. The Twins were the youngest team in the major leagues at 25.5, and won 88 games without the great Johan Santana, one fewer win than the New York Mets.

- Jon Heyman lists the top 20 remaining free agents, the three (former) Yankees, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, and Jason Giambi did make the list. Surprisingly, Abreu got topped his list.

1. Bobby Abreu, OF. He's a better player than folks seem to be giving him credit for. Sure, he won't run into walls; but hey, the cautious approach keeps him healthy. Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are the only three players with at least 100 RBIs in each of the past six years. Looks like he may be California Dreamin', with the A's, Angels and Dodgers all possibilities, plus Tampa Bay.

- Did you know Bucky Dent played high school baseball with Mark Teixeira's father John? Kevin Kernan of the NY Post has the story.

- Jack Curry of the NY Times discusses the terrible trip Don Larsen had to endure when he went to tape an interview for the MLB Network about his perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

- Peter Abraham goes over a few things that make him crazy; the Joba debate, people that think the Yankees should sign Manny or Orlando Hudson, hating on young players, the idea of trading for Erik Bedard, and the idea of trading Hideki Matsui. Check it out here.

Deadline Day for Arbitration Decisions

From Anthony McCarron:

The Yankee offseason - and the future of the club's player development - could be affected by Monday's arbitration deadline, a little bit of baseball bookkeeping that could influence Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte likely would earn around the $16 million he's pocketed the last two seasons if he accepts arbitration, but it seems unlikely the Yanks will offer it - if they wanted to pay Pettitte that much money, he'd likely already have been re-signed. Instead, the team wants him to take a pay cut after a 14-14 season.

Abreu is seeking a three-year deal, something the Yankees apparently have no interest in, because they have not engaged his agent since the end of the season.

Jason Giambi won't be offered arbitration by the Yankees because they have no incentive to do so - he's not a Type A or B free agent, so they wouldn't get compensation elsewhere and, who knows, he might accept.

Other Yankees free agents that could, but won't be offered arbitration are Carl Pavano and Ivan Rodriguez.

The Yankees get draft picks if any of they offer any of their free agents arbitration and he signs with another team. If the player is a Type A free agent and signs elsewhere, the Yanks will get that team's first-round pick plus a supplemental first-round pick. If it's a Type B free agent the Yankees only get the supplemental pick.

And here's MLB.com's explanation for how the arbitration process works.

I think the Yankees should offer Abreu arbitration just for the picks. He's a Type A free agent, and he probably won't accept it because he probably already know he can get the kind of deal he wants from another team. Ken Davidoff believes the Yankees will offer Abreu arbitration.

But they're apparently not going to offer Pettitte arbitration, which is fine, I'd be happy if they did, but I can understand why they don't want to pay him close to the $16 MM they did last year. But I still think they need to get him resigned pretty soon.

UPDATE from Joel Sherman:

For months that had been a foregone conclusion. The Yanks figured they would offer Abreu arbitration, that he would refuse and that he would then sign somewhere else with the Yankees recouping both a first-round pick and a sandwich pick in next June's draft because Abreu is ranked as a Type-A free agent.

However, the Yankees have now become worried that the market is so stalled that Abreu just might accept their offer of arbitration with the idea of going back into free agency next offseason when the economy is better. Abreu made $16 million last year and had a strong enough season that he would not receive a paycut in the arbitration process. Thus, the Yanks might be looking at, say, a $17 million Bobby Abreu next year if he decided to accept arbitration.

It would be a big problem if the Yankees got stuck with Abreu for another year. They already have Damon, Nady, Matsui, and possibly Swisher fighting for playing time at a corner outfield position and DH, adding Abreu would just create more of a mess.

This Morning's Rumors

A few rumors are flying around this morning, so I'll put them all in this thread.

- Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees still have interest in Mike Cameron:

Earlier this week the Brewers picked up the $10 million 2009 option on Cameron. Nevertheless, Milwaukee believes its lineup is too right-handed plus it needs pitching. ... The Yanks also have talked to several teams about Wilson Betemit Wilson Betemit , another switch-hitter like Cabrera who is superior from the left side.

Cabrera, Betemit and a pitcher is probably a package - combined with the savings Milwaukee would receive from moving Cameron's contract - that the Yanks would be willing to move for Cameron.

Please stay away from Mike Cameron. I don't care how bad a year Melky had it's not worth shipping him off for Mike Cameron and his salary.

- Yesterday Sherman also reported that the Yankees have expressed interest in Orlando Hudson. If the Yankees move Cano look for the Yankees to sign Hudson for replace him.

- The Yankees have also inquired about Rangers' catchers Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. And they're also keeping tabs on Ivan Rodriguez.

- Yahoo Sports is reporting a potential 3-way deal involving Hideki Matsui.

One source mentioned a potential three-way deal that would send outfielder Hideki Matsui from the New York Yankees to the Seattle Mariners for a pitching prospect, perhaps Ryan Rowland-Smith. The Yankees would package the prospect with second baseman Robinson Cano and another young player to the Rockies for Holliday.

Interesting idea, I wouldn't be against it.

- For some stupid reason there is still a chance Jason Giambi could return to the Yankees next year.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was a major run producer for somebody next year, and that could include us," Cashman said of Giambi. "I haven't crossed him off the list of potential guys to re-sign. We're going to look at what the market is, and I'm keeping him in that market. I'm not opposed to bringing him back."

- Brian Cashman announced that Phil Hughes is not untouchable, which may open the door for a Peavy to Yanks trade. The Yankees would probably have to offer a package of Hughes, Austin Jackson, and another player or two. As I've said many times, I'd stay away.

- Peter Abraham says that the Yankees and Mets may end up in a bidding war for Derek Lowe's services. Apparently Scott Boras has already discussed Lowe with both teams - I'd rather the Yankees just resign Pettitte and let Lowe go over to Queens. ... Abraham also said that the Yankees and Mets may compete for the services of A.J. Burnett and Oliver Perez.

That's it for now, I'm sure there will be more as the day goes on.

Yanks Decline Options On Both Giambi and Pavano

From Bryan Hoch:

In a pair of paperwork decisions that were anticipated for months, the Yankees declined their 2009 options on first baseman Jason Giambi and right-hander Carl Pavano on Tuesday, officially making both players free agents.

This news is not surprising at all.

Giambi Nominated For Goulet Award

From Mark Feinsand:

Jason Giambi won’t be in the mix for any postseason awards, but the Big G is one of the finalists for this year’s Goulet Award.

Not familiar with that honor? It’s named for the great Robert Goulet, and it goes to the “most impactful mustached American” from the past year.

The 16 finalists were selected by the American Mustache Institute from a pool of more than 60 nominees. You can vote for Giambi (or anybody else, for that matter) at the AMI web site.

Other finalists include former Yankee "Goose" Gossage, former Met Keith Hernandez, TV's Pat O'Brien, and Family Guy's Cleveland Brown.

The winner will be announced at ‘Stache Bash 2008, which is a benefit for Challenger Baseball, a baseball league for children and adults with disabilities. 'Stache Bash 2008 will be held on October 25 in St. Louis.

Giambi Wants to Stay With Yanks

From George A. King III:

The Yankees haven't made Jason Giambi an offer, but according to the first baseman, they have been asking what he wants to do next year.

"I talked to Cash (GM Brian Cashman), and he asked me if I was interested (in returning) and I said I was definitely interested," Giambi said before the Yankees' 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays last night at Rogers Centre. "He said, 'Do you think you want to go to the West Coast.' I told him I enjoyed winning and playing on good baseball teams."

"G knows how I feel about him, and he is still a force, but we haven't talked (internally) about 2009," said Cashman.

It didn't sound like Giambi would be open to a one-year deal.

"It depends on the length, I would like to play a long time. I would like to play into my 40s," Giambi said. "New York is fun. What you miss in California is that passion, the atmosphere every night. Every night you have to answer the bell and I like that."

Hopefully Cashman isn't seriously thinking about resigning Giambi. I don't know about you, but I don't want him back. I know he's had a good year offensively, but he was terrible in clutch situations, and he's a liability at first base. The Yankees also don't need another DH heading into '09. With Damon, Matsui, and Posada on the roster, the Yankees should have no problem finding a DH every night.

I found it interesting that Cashman asked Giambi about the West Coast. If Cashman doesn't return as Yankees GM there is a lot of speculation that he will be be hired by the Mariners, so maybe he's thinking of bringing Giambi with him.

Giambi is also apparently looking for a long-term deal, I'm assuming something around three years. A deal like that would make some sense for a team in need of a left-handed DH, or a team that doesn't care about defense at first base, but not for the 2009 Yankees.

The First Base Discussion

All over the Yankees blogosphere the big discussion of the day is "Who will play first base for the Yankees next season?"

Ben K. from River Ave. Blues discusses the potential log jam at first base next season. Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon have said they'd be willing to learn the position and play first. Jorge Posada's bad shoulder may force him to play some first base next year as well. He wonders whether the Yankees would be better off signing Mark Teixeira "to a contract that will be too rich and too long" or just using a mix of Matsui-Damon-Posada to get through next year.

Ed Valentine from Bugs and Cranks believes that Matsui is the answer at first, he also doesn't believe that Mark Teixeira will want to come here.

WasWatching.com's Steve Lombardi also looks at the first base situation. He thinks that going after a younger player like 22 year old Rangers' first baseman Chris Davis is the way to go. David his hitting .279/.336/.550 this season with 14 homers and 42 RBI in 63 games. I like this idea, I just have no idea how they will pry him away from Texas. Maybe a few high-level pitching prospects would get it done.

Ben may be right about Teixeira's potential contract being "too rich and too long," but I still think he is he Yanks best option. He's a switch-hitting, gold-glove first baseman who hits for average and power, and he gets on base a ton. He gives the Yankees the complete package over at first and he will only cost money, albeit a lot of it. I don't think the Yankees should come anywhere close to the 10 years Boras is saying he will ask for, but if they can somehow get him to sign for seven, maybe even eight years, I'd do it. First baseman who didn't use steroids tend to hold up just fine into their mid 30's.

I personally hate the idea of having 3 or 4 guys who've really never played the position split time. Using a mix of Matsui, Damon and Posada would probably be worse defensively than Giambi. Matsui did play first when he was in high school, but can he still play in the field after what will be his second knee surgery in as many years? Matsui should be the left-handed DH next season. That's the best place to make sure he stays healthy.

Steve's idea about trading for a younger first baseman is the most intriguing, and could be the best of the bunch. Whether it's Chris Davis or another up and coming first baseman, the Yankees do have the pitching prospects to get a deal like this done. It will be interesting to see if Cashman could pull something off.

So fans, I ask you, who should play first base for the Yankees next season?

Nice Job Jason

From George A. King III (hat tip to Steve Lombardi):

Jason Giambi wishes he had a sexier story to explain the gash on the corner of his right eyelid that cause discoloring and swelling.

"I would like to have something to tell you, something like a fight or anything else," Giambi said. "But it was nothing like that. I walked into the bathroom door at the hotel and split it open."

The cut resembled a gash a boxer would get during a fight, but didn't keep Giambi out of the lineup.

"There was so much blood the maid probably was wondering where the body was hid," said Giambi, whose third-inning double hiked his RBI total across the past seven games to nine and marked the seventh straight game he has plated at least one run.

At least he didn't miss anytime cause of this stupid incident. And yes Jason, it would have been much cooler if you had gotten into a fight. Walking into a bathroom door? Come on man.