Jason Giambi's status with the Yankees took an interesting and odd twist yesterday. General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Torre initiated a meeting with Giambi, the incredibly shrinking hitter, to discuss ways to help him return to his previous form. But, in the end, nothing changed. For now, anyway.
Although Torre acknowledged before the meeting that sending Giambi to the minor leagues was a possibility and added that it was crucial for the Yankees to devise a plan to help Giambi, confusion followed instead. Cashman emerged from the meeting, called it routine and said Giambi would remain with the Yankees.
Since Giambi, 34, has more than five years of major league service time, he has the right to veto a demotion to the minors. When Cashman was asked if the Yankees had tried to convince Giambi of the potential positive of sending him to the minors, and if Giambi had resisted, Cashman declined to comment.
"I'm not going to discuss what we discussed, but, again, the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss where he is at on this date," Cashman said. "And, you know, how we got here and how we're going to hit higher ground at a later date and what we need to do to get there, collectively."
Cashman said he did not have any more meetings scheduled with Giambi. The Yankees owe Giambi about $80 million on his seven-year, $120 million contract, and they have had discussions for several months about ways to get out of the deal.
But Cashman said the Yankees did not discuss anything that would lead to Giambi's no longer being a Yankee. Arn Tellem, Giambi's agent, would have surely been in on a meeting involving finances, while Torre would not. Cashman added that the Yankees always have the right to try to void a contract if they feel it is warranted, but he added that something like that would remain private.
Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' union; Dr. Stuart Hershon, the team physician; and Chad Bohling, the Yankees' director of optimal performance, were at Yankee Stadium last night, but Cashman said none of them were involved in the meeting.
Cashman was mostly reserved in discussing the conversation but said Giambi, who tipped reporters to the gathering, expressed confidence.
"I can't predict what's going to happen in the future," Cashman said. "All of us are interested in the same thing, which is to get him going. He projected a very strong belief in himself that he is going to get it going."
Torre and Cashman mentioned Giambi's psychological state in talking about his abysmal start. Torre said that Giambi needed work, that he lacked confidence and that he would benefit from playing first base every day. Torre all but fitted Giambi for a uniform at Class AAA Columbus, Class AA Trenton or Class A Tampa.
"The healthy part comes from feeling good mentally," Torre said. "I'm a firm believer in the mind ruling the body and, right now, it's not good now."
Cashman noted how Giambi was not "just a typical player struggling," but he is "Jason Giambi, with everything that took place this winter, struggling with a bad start." Still, Cashman said Giambi did not cite mental fatigue as an issue.
"I think he's frustrated with his performance," Cashman said. "I would describe it as his outlook is still positive and he still feels he can get the job done."
When Torre was asked about Giambi's getting into shape in the major leagues, Torre said, "The only problem there is, every single day takes on more baggage." Torre explained how Giambi is used to hitting in the middle of the order, but he has been relegated to batting eighth, and that must be "a shot to the ego."
Yet, two hours after Torre strongly hinted at the likelihood of Giambi's regaining his confidence elsewhere, Giambi was still in the first-base dugout.
Giambi is hitless in his last 15 at-bats, is in a 4-for-38 slump and is batting .195 with three homers and six runs batted in. He has 29 strikeouts, 18 walks and has been hit by 6 pitches in 101 plate appearances.
"I still know I have minimal at bats," Giambi said. "Three or four good games change the whole perception of things."
After a ragged 2004 in which Giambi played in only 80 games because of a parasite and a tumor in his pituitary gland, he edged into 2005 by doing a lot of apologizing and hoping he could be a productive player.
Although Giambi was not specific about why he apologized, he was undoubtedly referring to steroid use. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Giambi had a told a grand jury investigating Balco that he had used steroids.
Torre was surprised by Giambi's solid spring training, saying Giambi looked more patient and his body had "a little more life" then. Now Giambi looks tired. His face is flushed, his hair is tousled, his answers are short and his outlook with the Yankees is as uncertain as ever.
"I think, right now," Torre said, "his biggest weakness is in his confidence."
