Jason Giambi: Hot Stove Report

Ever since his steroid allegations, Jason Giambi hasn't been in the national spotlight.

In 2008, he hit a quiet .247 with 32 HRs and 96 RBIs. Giambi played first base/DH for the Yankees since joining the team in 2002. Giambi is still a threat to go deep every at bat, and his stats from the years past prove that, with the exceptions of 2004 and 2007, when he appeared in less than 83 games each season.

After the Yankees released Giambi, here are his best options:

Detroit

In order to acquire Giambi, players would have to adjust to the "Jim Leyland Shuffle" again. 1B Miggy Cabrera hit .297 with 37 HR, but 3B Brandon Inge had a career-worst year, hitting only .205 with 11 HR. The best option, if Detroit pursues Giambi, is to move Cabrera back to 3B, relegate Inge to backup duty, and ink Giambi at 1B. Giambi would also be able to play DH to give Gary Sheffield a few games off.

Cleveland

2008 was an injury- plagued for Cleveland stars Travis Hafner (.197, 5, 24) and Victor Martinez (.278, 2, 35), who appeared in a combined 125 games. Cleveland got hot towards the end of the season, and having Giambi hit either 3, 4, or 5 with a healthy Martinez and Hafner would ignite offensive fireworks in Cleveland, especially with Grady Sizemore or Jhonny Peralta in front of them.

Oakland

In my opinion, the best option for Giambi. During Jason’s first stint in the bay, he hit .308 with 187 HR and 684 RBI during his seven seasons in Oakland, which ultimately lead to his MVP in 2000. Now that Billy Beane has acquired Matt Holliday from Colorado, he is showing that he is ready to compete again in the AL West.

Toronto

After A.J Burnett walked, plenty of cash opened up for Toronto. Giambi, most likely, would like to stay in the AL East, and would fit in nicely into a DH role.

Angels

Worst case scenario for LA: Mark Teixeria signs with the Cubs, and the Angels have to settle with Giambi, whose numbers were not that different from Teixeria’s in the second half.

Rays

News flash: Tampa Bay can win. If they were to add another big bat to complement Longoria and Pena, Tampa could be a force in the AL East for the next couple years.