Yanks Take 1

Jason Giambi continues to light up opposing pitchers without mercy, this time going 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs. You gotta respect the 'stache.

Which leads me to the question, what do you do with Giambi next year? Earlier this season I repeatedly said the Yankees should let him go, making room for some young guys to get a shot or bring in a high quality player from free-agency. Jason was hitting extremely poorly and was a liability at 1st base. His defense hasn't improved, but he's been one of the Yankees best hitters lately. 

Shelley Duncan wasn't the answer. He wasn't playing 1st any better than Giambi, and never really found a grove as a hitter (although Girardi never gave him too many plate appearances.)

Jorge Posade seems like a perfect answer if his shoulder troubles continue, but he's said several times that he's a catcher, implying that he won't play 1st base if called upon.

Mark Teixeira will be a free agent next season and is an attractive alternative, but I think the Braves have the inside line on keeping him, and if not, his services won't come cheap and there's no guarantee the Yanks could land him.

So we're back to the Giambino. Are his early season struggles enough to make you not want him back? Does the fact that he seems to have turned things around make him a desireable option to resign? How much money do you give him and how long do you sign him for?

Keep an eye on him over the course of the rest of the season. If he continues to produce, you have to try and keep him on the team and sign him for a 1 or 2 year deal until you can get a decent prospect ready to move up. If his production drops off and he gets into another big slump late in the season, you spend some time looking around for other options, and only sign him as a last resort. I'm thinking he's going to continue to hit fairly well, and the Yanks will (and should) look to keep him around a while longer.

Getting back to last night's game, Pettitte was impressive, looking like a true ace on the mound, Farnsworth struggled and was injured, and Rivera picked up his 21st save. The kind of game you'd like to see more of.