Village Voice: Barra: Speed on the Bases

Thanks to 6-4-2...for turning me on to this Giambi biznack.

What then, is likely to happen? We don’t know, but an intriguing subplot may have emerged at precisely the moment the Los Angeles Angels came to town last weekend. Though he claims to have no knowledge of how the rumor of a Giambi-to-Angels trade got started, it’s obvious that no team would be a more perfect fit for Giambi. Since he’s a lousy fielder and must DH, Giambi would have to play in the American League. There are three American League teams on the West Coast, and Giambi is hugely unpopular with the fans of one of them: his old team, the Oakland A’s. This leaves the Seattle Mariners and the Angels, and the Angels have two big advantages: They’re a contender, currently leading the Western Division by four games; and they play their home games close to where Giambi grew up. And the West Coast is far enough away for a player who wants to escape the brutal scrutiny of the New York media.

Giambi has a no-trade clause in his contract and can steer a deal in any direction he wants. In other words, if the Yankees want to get rid of him badly enough, Giambi is in a position to force them to negotiate with the Angels. From the Yankees’ perspective, it wouldn’t be as good as terminating his contract, but at least in a trade they’d get something of value.