Colorado Rockies To Sign Giambi?

Jason Giambi was recently released by the Oakland A's and it is rumored that he will soon sign with a contender. He was batting under the Mendoza Line this season, but you can't under-estimate the power of the mustache. Giambi still has power, but his average could kill a team looking for a playoff spot. He's a good clubhouse guy and has playoff experience with Oakland and New York. The team that's rumored to want him is the Colorado Rockies. I don't really understand why, he is basically a DH at this point, but they could be scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for an edge.

Let's examine where Giambi would play if he signed with Colorado. 1st base would be ideal for the slugger, but they have a potential Hall of Famer, Todd Helton, at that position. He has had a comeback year and is actually healthy for the first time in a few seasons. He could be a back-up, but Garrett Atkins has been filling in for him this season. Atkins has had a rough year this year, but his average and power are just a hair better than Giambi this season. You can forget about the middle infield or third base for Giambi, he isn't up for the challenge. The other spot would be left-field, but the Rockies have an outfield loaded with talent. Carlos Gonzalez, Brad Hawpe, Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Ryan Spilbourghs have all been sharing time out there. That leaves the pinch-hitting spot, at this point in his career, could be the best option. He has had success in that role throughout the years and had a few memorable pinch-hit walk-off hits with the Yankees.

You can throw out the statistics when you're talking about Giambi. He's such a streaky hitter and the move to the National League may do him well. His post-season career numbers are nice, he has hit 7 homers and carries a .289 average. His experience in the post-season is something you can't put a price tag on. If the Rockies sign him, they would just be paying a pro-rated amount of the league minimum. If the Rockies want to roll the dice on him, the risk is low and the reward could be extremely high. I say go for it, you won't have to re-sign him next year and you just have to deal with him for two months. It's not the smartest idea to sign Giambi at this point, but you have very little to lose.