Giambi?

While Oriole nation watches and wonders whether or not Mark Teixeira signs with Baltimore, MASN's "What They're Saying About The Orioles" notes a brief little snippet from CBS Sportsline profiles on free agent first basemen.

It mentions someone who has been nothing but a nemesis to the Orioles, especially when it comes to the longball -- Jason Giambi. It now looks like they may be some scant interest in the slugger or this just might be a figment of someone's imagination; however, I am taking it all with a grain of salt.

He won't get anything near the $120 million, seven-year deal it took for the Yankees to sign him away from Oakland, but after hitting 32 home runs in 2008, Giambi should be able to find a job.

Potential suitors: A's, Yankees, Giants, Blue Jays, Mariners, Orioles.

Now Giambi is a free agent after the Yankees declined his option, and from the looks of it, he's not been garnering much attention. While he has not hit for average in several seasons and is a liability in the field -- he still hits for power, drives in runs, draws walks and has a relatively good batting eye.

I'm against signing guys on the wrong side of thirty for the most part; however, if Giambi is cheap enough -- and I mean cheap -- the Orioles might want to take a chance on him.

Then again, we have a serviceable hitter in Luke Scott, and also potentially Lou Montanez -- assuming he makes the club in spring training -- could serve as DH and do the job Giambi could accomplish.

Plus, they are both obviously just not one-dimensional players unlike the former Yankee slugger.

Giambi to Talk About 'Roid Use..

(photo from AP)

Jason Giambi has until Thursday to agree to a meeting with steroids investigator George Mitchell or else face possible discipline from baseball commissioner Bud Selig. It looks like Giambi may cooperate with Mitchell; however, will only answer questions about his personal use of performance-enhancing drugs and will not name names according to the NY Daily News.

I just think baseball needs to have a blanket amnesty -- at this point. I think this is the only way they'd have to perhaps find what they want about steroids, once and for all...

Is This an Admission? Jason Giambi

As we know, the steroids and the issue of performance enhancement are the big story in the media today.

Just this morning, prominent slugger and New York Yankee, Jason Giambi believes it’s time for baseball to come clean about the issue of steroids.

From ESPN:

Claiming he's likely been tested for performance-enhancing drugs more often than anyone, Giambi told USA Today in a story on its Web site Friday that the apology is long overdue.

"Unfortunately, [the rumors] are going to be a part of it. But that's OK. I'm probably tested more than anybody else. I'm not hiding anything," Giambi told the newspaper. "That stuff didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a baseball."

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi said Wednesday before the Yankees played the Chicago White Sox. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said, 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

Giambi reportedly told a grand jury during the BALCO investigation in December 2003 that he used steroids and human growth hormone. He told USA Today this week he's thankful for MLB's testing program for steroids and amphetamines that was revised before last season. MLB does not test for HGH, but Giambi said he does not use the drug.

When asked, "So why did you take steroids?" Giambi told the newspaper "Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but not now."

Wow. It’s about time sometime took the lead and call out the sport for turning a blind eye to drug use.

Why he decided until now to say this, I don't know. Is there something else in play in the works?