With a look to the past statistically and a look to the future optimistically, there are two sure things for the 2009 Yankees. Jason Giambi has to go and Bobby Abreu has to stay.
Giambi came to the Yankees after the 2001 season, in which the Yanks had made it back to the World Series for the fifth time in six years. They had won four of those Series and missed the championship in '01 with a loss in the seventh game to Arizona.
Giambi was signed by the Yankees, coming off a final season in Oakland in which he hit .342 with 47 homers and 120 RBI. So there was every reason to believe he was a good replacement for the much loved Tino Martinez and every reason to believe he would help the Yanks gather much more World Series hardware.
But in Giambi's seven seasons in pinstripes, the Bombers have only made it to one Series, losing to the Marlins in 2003, a season when Jason only hit .250, but did have 41 home runs and 107 RBI. But the remaining years have been frustrating for everyone associated with the Yankees, from fans to Giambi himself.
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His averages over the seven seasons he has been in New York are as follows: Average - .254; Home Runs - 30; RBI - 86. But if you throw out the first year in 2002 when he hit .314 with 41 homer and 120 RBI, his numbers are much worse.
He has been spotty at best on first base, even though the harshest critics must admit he performed better there in 2008 than expected. But when you consider that he has had two years, 2003 and 2007, when he only appeared in 80 and 83 games respectively, he has been very inconsistent and much less than anyone would expect from the power positions of first base and DH.
His salary, which looked appropriate when he signed before the '02 season, has not been earned and the Yanks cannot afford to shell out money to Giambi any more when they have such great needs in other areas.
Abreu is exactly the opposite story. To start with, he is only 34 years old. He has a number of good years ahead of him and he keeps himself in great shape. He has a gun in right field and except for his shyness around walls, he is a superior right fielder.
And Abreu has been a model of consistency. For this analysis, I am going to throw out his first year in Houston when he only appeared in 15 games. But I will include his second season when he was only in 59 game and hit only .250. For his 12 years, beginning in 1997, he has averaged .302 with 21 homers and 97 RBI. And during those 12 years, he has averaged 104 runs scored. If you take only his last 11 years, when he has been a full time player, all his numbers go up dramatically.
Since joining the Yankees, Abreu's stats have been even a little better with an average in two-and-a-half seasons of .303 with 43 homers, 243 RBI, and 260 runs scored. Quite simply, he is a consistent producer.
Admittedly, the Yankees did not get past the first round of the playoffs in Abreu's first two seasons in pinstripes and failed to make the playoffs this year. But none of that was Bobby's fault.
The Yankees have to resign Abreu, probably to a three or four year deal worth about $12 million per year. At that, he is a bargain.
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about 1 month ago
Let em both go...
Keep Nady and Damon as your corner outfielders and go after a legit CF with the money you would have paid Abreu...
from about 1 month ago
Yankee fans have to get over the idea of Damon being a regular outfielder. He cannot go get the ball anymore and he has no arm. I mean NO arm. Think back over this past year and realize that every team knew they could take an extra base anytime the ball was hit to Damon. In one game against the Rays, a player tagged up and ran from second to third on a fly ball hit to Damon in medium deep left field. LEFT FIELD! And before you tout using Damon over Abreau, go back and look at the stats again. Abreau produces more than Damon, scores more runs, drives in more runs. Damon may be the DH leading off, but he is not an outfielder
about 1 month ago
Listen you guys have to get over the Jason Giambi contract and finally admit that it wasn't all that bad. Instead of getting rid of the first year ( which I don't even understand the argument. "Hey lets evaluate Giambi's production so lets get rid of his best year to paint a more accurate picture" hugh..what ????) why don't you drop the two years he was injured. If you do you will find that you got 4 years of over 30 home runs, 100 rbi's, and an on base percentage of over .400. That takes you up until this year where he just produced slightly under those benchmarks. Giambi is a great player with one of the best eyes and approaches to the game. So take it easy. That said he is 37 and fits in better as a DH than a full time first baseman. And as it stands the Yankees have other options to consider.
Bobby has to stay but you got you also want to keep Nady and need a stud centerfielder.
from about 1 month ago
I agree with keeping Nady along with Abreau. But you are wrong about Giambi. The whole point is that after that first year, he has done very little as far as overall production. You missed the point that I was trying to make that in two of the last six years, he has played in just about one-half of the games. He is not reliably fit and why do you want a DH who hits .246?
about 1 month ago
No I got your point but you certainly lost mine. Giambi is a great player. Forget the years were he had injuries and went through the steroid fiasco and you'll notice you always got great production.
You and your batting average. He's a power hitter. Don't want him as a DH. Type in the stats! You will find he would fall number 2 in on base percentage ( which makes the poor batting average meaningless) number 2 in home runs and number 2 in RBIs amoung all dh's in 08. Its too bad that the yankees have been unable to keep the spot open for him because of a number of contracts handed out to players who can no longer play the position they signed on to play.
Hey no doubt Giambi probably won't be back. But he gave you good years and is the only player as far as I'm concerned who bounced back from the steroid fiasco which saw so many other great sluggers just leave the game.
ps just fix the pitching for once. Every year its the same story.
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