Jason Giambi and the Rockies have agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.75 million. The 39-year-old slugger will be used as a pinch hitter and occasional first baseman.

From FOXSports.com:

He hit .292 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 19 games for the Rockies last September, when he had two game-winning hits and helped Colorado win the NL wild card.

He was a huge hit in the clubhouse, mentoring young players and veterans.

General manager Dan O’Dowd said he gained a fuller appreciation for Giambi’s clubhouse contributions during meetings with his staff, manager Jim Tracy and his coaches last week.

“It became very clear to me how much of an integral part he was in leadership and accountability and the standards of what we’re trying to become here,” O’Dowd said. “I think that was probably first and foremost in the decision to bring him back.

“And then, two, we think he can be a very, very productive player in the role that he will be used in, which is to complement Todd and to get a lot of big hits for us when called upon to do that,” O’Dowd said. “And then with interleague play, we’re adding a legitimate bat into the middle of our lineup.”

After a dismal return to Oakland, Giambi performed well with his new team in Colorado. He can be a clutch pinch hitter, though I don’t think he should play first base too often, as much as Todd Helton welcomes the possibility. Considering the Rockies are supposedly toying with the idea trying Brad Hawpe out at first base, they are certainly handling Helton’s breakdown.

Nevertheless, Giambi’s experience is an invaluable asset at the very least.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/01/29/giambi-and-colorado-reach-deal/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/08/06/massarotti-what%e2%80%99s-next-for-ortiz/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/08/06/massarotti-what%e2%80%99s-next-for-ortiz/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:10:32 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=22269

Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe throws out an intriguing question about Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and what his next step is after reports surfaced that he tested positive for PEDs in 2003.

Here are the questions we all need to ask: Will anything short of a full admission from Ortiz be enough to satisfy those of us who generally are cursed with cynicism? Or is he simply doomed, regardless of what happened, because there are certain things we need to hear?

Fans don’t appreciate being lied to, so there will still be a ton of people who will forever be upset with Big Papi no matter what he does or doesn’t admit to. But fans are also forgiving in nature as long as an athlete is honest and completely upfront with his omission.

Take Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and to a lesser extent, Bronson Arroyo (who recently admitted to using androstenedione and amphetamines before they were both banned in 2006) for example. All three of those players admitted that they had taken PEDs in the past, apologized for it and immediately showed regret for what they had done. Do you hear any of their names being mentioned with the likes of Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Ortiz or Ramirez? Nope.

If Big Papi comes out and completely admits to what he did, then fans will be less forgiving. Granted, we’re not going to just forget that he ever took PEDs, but we’ll certainly be more forgiving of him when we throw stones at the players who did cheat.

We’re approaching Memorial Day and are already about a quarter of the way through the baseball regular season. Some players historically take a while to get going, and some start off blazing hot and then cool off. Here we take a look at five pleasant surprises, and five busts through the first 40 or so games of the 2009 season.

Top 5 Suprises

1. Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City Royals—One of the reasons the Royals are off to a great start is that Greinke has found his rhythm, to the tune of 7-1 with a 0.82 ERA, as well as 73 strikeouts and 12 walks in just 66 innings. Greinke has given up a microscopic six earned runs so far. Six! It’s not like the kid wasn’t talented, but his career record before 2009 was 34-45 and his ERA 3.96.

2. Jason Bartlett, SS, Tampa Bay Rays—Before this season, Bartlett was a career .285 hitter with 16 career home runs. So far this season, he’s off to a wicked start–.376 batting average, 6 homers, 23 RBI, 9 doubles, 12 stolen bases and an OPS of 1.004.

3. Raul Ibanez, OF, Philadelphia Phillies—This is looking like the free agent signing of the off-season. Or maybe coming over to the world champs from soggy Seattle was a good move. Ibanez was a respectable .288 hitter and was averaging 22 homers and 95 RBI, but so far in 2009 he’s hit 15 home runs and driven in 40 runs, while hitting .349 with 10 doubles, 4 stolen bases and a .724 slugging percentage. You think the Mets should have made a run at the guy instead of wasting all that money on P Ollie Perez?

4. Aaron Hill, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays—It’s not like Hill didn’t have potential, but an injury de-railed him in 2008. Maybe he’s come back with a bionic bat, because he’s hitting .352 with 11 homers and 35 RBI. Before this season, Hill’s career high in home runs was 17, so at his current pace he will shatter that mark..

5. Shairon Martis, SP, Washington Nationals—Who? I mean, who? But here is this Nats’ pitcher with a blistering 5-0 record on a team that’s 12-28, worst record in the majors. If you’re keeping score at home, that means Martis has 42% of his team’s wins.

Honorable mention: Trevor Hoffman, RP, Milwaukee Brewers—Since coming off the DL to start the season, Hoffman is 11 for 11 in save opportunities in 12 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts for his new team.

Top 5 Busts

1. David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox—Okay, so maybe he’s injured and all, but did anyone expect this? Ortiz is batting .211 with one home run and 18 batted in with a .324 slugging percentage. To put that in perspective, his career averages are 35 homers, 120 RBI, .285 average and .547 slugging percentage. Something is afoot at Fenway, dude.

2. Chien-Ming Wang, SP, New York Yankees—This is almost unfair because Wang is currently rehabbing an injury, but still. Wang had 38 wins in 2006 and 2007 combined, and this season got off to a rocky 0-3 start with an astronomical 34.50 ERA—giving up 23 hits and 23 earned runs in just six innings of work. Yikes.

3. Jimmy Rollins, SS, Philadelphia Phillies—It’s a good thing the Phils picked up Ibanez, because their perennial MVP candidate is batting just .234 with 2 homers and 15 batted in with only 5 stolen bases and 1 triple. Rollins has never been a huge power guy, but he’s averaged .276 with 38 steals per season over the course of his career.

4. Cliff Lee, SP, Cleveland Indians—The reigning AL Cy Young was 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 2008. This year he’s off to a 2-5 start but his ERA is still a very respectable 2.90. You can blame this one on the Tribe’s inability to score runs like they normally do.

5. Brian Giles, OF, San Diego Padres—Sure, he’s getting long in the tooth, but Brian Giles is a lifetime .291 hitter who averages 25 homers and 95 batted in. In 2009, he’s off to a .161 start, with 2 homers and 15 RBI, and a paltry .235 slugging percentage.

Honorable mention: Jason Giambi, DH, Oakland Athletics—You’d think the change of scenery would energize Giambi, but he’s hitting just .208 with 3 home runs and 18 RBI so far.

Source: Baseball Reference

1. Ken Griffey, Seattle Mariners (1774)—I can’t think of a classier player in the last 20 years. And how about these numbers….from 1996 to 1999, the last four years of Griffey’s first tenure with Seattle, he had 567 RBI. That’s an AVERAGE of 142 per season. Just sick.

2. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1738)—For all the fun we poke at Man Ram for being a goofy, lazy, eccentric superstar, we always temper our joking with “but the guy sure can rake.” You want sick numbers? From 1995 when Manny began playing regularly (okay, it was technically 1994 but that season was cut way short) through 2008, he has averaged 111 RBI per season. Think about that.

3. Gary Sheffield, New York Mets (1634)—It’s hard to believe this guy has been in the big leagues longer than Griffey. And unlike some of the other guys on this list, Sheffield’s 1634 RBI is more about longevity, as his career high is only 132.

4. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (1606)—A-Rod is almost a lock to pass 2000 RBI, and when you hear the other three names that have done that, it will blow your mind….Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Cap Anson.

5. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (1504)—Another guy with a nice, long career, and he’s topped 100 RBI nine times….so far.

6. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (1498)—38 years old and he’s still mashing. I know I’ve written this before, but it’s hard to believe the Indians had Thome and Man Ram in the lineup as well as Albert Belle and Eddie Murray, and didn’t win like five titles.

7. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (1378)—Come to think of it, it’s hard to believe the Braves didn’t win more than one World Series after winning fourteen straight division crowns. But don’t blame Chipper.

8. Garret Anderson, Atlanta Braves (1292)—He’s lost some pop the last few seasons, but still a solid, productive player.

9. Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics (1285)—He juiced, he admitted it, and everyone still loves this guy. Maybe that’s because he didn’t lie about it. And Giambi’s 32 homers and 96 RBI last year at the age of 37 proves he didn’t need the juice to begin with.

10. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (1271)—Another freak of nature type hitter who has averaged 117 RBI per season over the course of his career. And Vlad is still only 34.

P.S. Did anyone else notice there are no Red Sox players on this list?

Source: Baseball Reference

Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

Offseason Movement: In one of the biggest trades this offseason, the Rockies’ dealt outfielder Matt Holliday to the A’s in exchange for Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street and Greg Smith. Oakland also brought back Jason Giambi, who played for the A’s earlier in his career, and signed free agent Orlando Cabrera.

Top Prospect: Trevor Cahill, RHP
Some would say that LHP Brett Anderson deserves mention here, but his ceiling isn’t as high as Cahill’s and he suffered a forearm injury in spring training, which probably cost him a roster spot this year. Cahill has a chance of landing in the starting rotation now that Anderson and Gio Gonzalez have been sidetracked by injuries. He has the potential to be a future ace and even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster this season, he could be called up at the All-Star break if the A’s our out of contention.

The Big Question: Can the young arms produce?
The A’s have a ton of promising young arms in their rotation, but a ton of question marks as well. With Justin Duchscherer expected to miss Opening Day with an elbow injury, youngsters like Sean Gallagher, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill (if he makes the major league roster), Edgar Gonzalez, Dana Eveland and Dallas Braden have to step up. Thus far, Gallagher and Edgar Gonzalez haven’t looked sharp this spring and Gio Gonzalez has been sidelined with tightness in his throwing shoulder. Braden is expected to start on Opening Day, but he’s more of a fourth or fifth starter. If a young prospect like Cahill can emerge, the A’s should remain in contention. But if more injuries occur, then this rotation seems doomed.

Outlook: With the offseason additions of Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera, it’s clear that the A’s are going for broke this season. In Holliday, Giambi and Jack Cust, they have one of the better 3-4-5’s in baseball and should score runs in bunches again this season. (Although Holliday’s numbers will no doubt take a dip now that he won’t be hitting at Coors anymore.) But everything hinges on the young pitching staff. If a couple of youngsters can grow up in a hurry, the A’s will be in contention. But so far small injuries are starting to spread and for a club that has had trouble staying healthy in the past, that’s not good. It also remains to be seen whether or not their closer-by-committee plan will pan out. Given their offensive and defensive upgrades this offseason, there’s some talk of the A’s being a dark horse this year. Will they overtake the Angels in the division? Probably not. But again, if the young pitching staff comes together and the A’s stay healthy, the AL Wild Card might not be out of reach.

Projection: 2nd AL West

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (1.0489)—Albert is a freak of nature, averaging 42 homers and 128 RBI with a .334 batting average in his first eight seasons in the big leagues. Last year, he battled early elbow problems and wound up winning the NL MVP. This guy is just money year in and year out, and he’s only 29.

2. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1.0044)—That sound you just heard was a combination of two things—a collective sigh of relief in La La land and the thud of millions of dollars landing in Manny’s bank account after finally signing a deal with the Dodgers this week. Like him or not, the Dodgers probably just bought a division title.

3. Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies (1.0020)—I’m not accusing anyone of anything but it’s intriguing to me that Helton hit 49 homers in 2001, the same year Barry Bonds hit 73. And his numbers have been steadily declining ever since. I’m just sayin’, it sort of reeks of Brady Anderson.

4. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (.9740)—The Big Hurt has averaged 36 homers, 119 RBI and batted .301 over nineteen seasons. Are you kidding me? Dude is a lock for the Hall of Fame.

5. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros (.9730)—Berkman hasn’t matched his highs of 45 home runs and 136 RBI in 2006, but he always strikes fear in opposing pitchers.

6. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (.9671)—It’s been a rough month for A-Rod, first with steroid allegations and now with a hip injury that will sideline him for several weeks. But dude is still king of the regular season in the batter’s box.

7. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (.9663)—For almost 20 years, Jim Thome has been one of the best left-handed power hitters in the game. And his .279 career batting average isn’t exactly shabby either. Not great, but not shabby.

8. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (.9634)—Check out these career averages—36 homers, 117 RBI and .323 batting average. How has Vlad only won one MVP award? Oh, I know—Montreal.

9. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (.9554)—Chipper is about as steady as they come, and he seems to be getting better with age. It’s too bad that hardly anyone goes to that ballpark in Atlanta.

10. Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics (.9421)—Yeah, okay, we know Giambi used banned substances to aid his performance. But dude is still a pretty good hitter even off the juice.

Source: Baseaball Reference

Schilling wants Major Leaugue Baseball to release all information on all the positive tests.

I’d be all for the 104 positives being named, and the game moving on if that is at all possible. In my opinion, if you don’t do that, then the other 600-700 players are going to be guilty by association, forever.

It’s not about good and bad people, because Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi are two of the kindest human beings ever. Andy Pettite is a fantastic person. That’s seemingly got nothing to do with anything. One hundred and four players made the wrong decision, and it appears that not only was it 104, but three of the greatest of our, or any, generation appear to be on top of this list.

And before anyone asks, I’ll make it clear: My name will not appear on any lists of positive tests. I’ve never tested positive for steroids or HGH, and I’ve never taken steroids or HGH in my life, ever. You don’t need to call the union, or an agent to verify that.

Baseball needs to address this. The story will never end, and we’re seeing more and more players whose Hall-of-Fame careers are tainted by the use of these drugs.

It’s stunning to see practically all of Jose Canseco’s allegtions turn out to be true. I heard him recently on Howard Stern, and he regrets exposing other players. He’s been reduced to boxing Danny Bonaduce, and he realizes that his vendetta against Major League Baseball has not made his life any better, despite being vindicated as the facts about steroid and HGH usage by the game’s stars have been exposed. Regardless of his motivations, Canseco has been much more honest than those he accused. Some of the most respected players in the game have been exposed as liars and cheaters, proving once again that this is a business, and money and fame can distort the ethics of many players, even those blessed with the most talent.