In 2009 it looked like Jason Giambi was washed up and on his way out of professional baseball. He signed with the Colorado Rockies and re-invented himself as a late inning pinch hitter and clubhouse leader. To the surprise of many he became a fan favorite. Each year he showed up in the purple pinstripes we knew it might be the last; we were just happy each time we got one more year of the Giambino.

This year it looked like his playing career was over once again, this time because of his serious pursuit of the Rockies’ manager post. It also looked like Giambi might be a member of the organization for a long time. Instead the Rockies chose Walt Weiss, and now Giambi will be a player once again:

Jason Giambi is closing in on Minor league deal w Indians Should be official soon. Great to see him in camp w a shot to make team

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) February 10, 2013

This already makes more sense than Giambi ever did for the Rockies. He will enter camp for the Cleveland Indians as one of the main candidates for their DH spot, which was recently vacated by the oft-injured Travis Hafner.

Giambi will have a chance to be a DH in Cleveland. Image: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Thinking strictly from an objective perspective, the last two years of Giambi as a member of the Rockies did not make sense. He only fit on a National League roster if the team was a contender, and even then it was a stretch. By keeping Giambi the men in charge were probably thinking with their hearts and not their heads.

In some cases that might make me upset, but how can I blame them? I love the Giambino. I think I speak for a good number of Rockies fans when I wish him well in Cleveland.

Final note. He is re-united with the controversial Ubaldo Jimenez. Remember that time that Giambi told the Denver Post that Jimenez shut down and shut out his teammates because he was upset about not getting a contract extension? Remember that time Ubaldo plunked Giambi’s bestie and work-out buddy, Troy Tulowitzki, in a preseason game? That’s gotta make things awkward, right?

Terry Francona thought he was going to a place where he wouldn’t have to deal with drama. Little does he know…

On the other hand, Giambi always seems to take change in stride, and his comments to the press during this whole roller coaster have been nothing but classy. He was thrilled when Walt Weiss got the manager job and seemed to really mean that whole line about it being an honor to have been considered. And he took himself out of the running for hitting coach, explaining that he felt he might have been a distraction in Weiss’s first year as manager. Weiss hasn’t been given the kind of stability Jim Tracy was promised; he only has a year on his contract, and Giambi didn’t want to create conflict in that environment. Giambi also talked about how he looked up to Weiss when he was just starting out with the Oakland A’s, so it seems clear that the respect he claims to have for Weiss is real.

Jason Giambi is already coaching because that’s who he is, so why not pay the man for it? Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

So there’s no sour grapes. But the question remains, what will Giambi do? I’d love to see him remain with the Rockies for another year or two and then transition seamlessly into an open coaching job. Even bench coach would be a good fit for him. He’s good at motivating other players, and he’s a skilled enough hitter that making in-game decisions should be no problem. My fear is that because the Rockies weren’t able to find a place for him for 2013, he will go elsewhere to play those last couple years and then belong to another franchise. It doesn’t necessarily work that way, of course, but now seemed like his best chance to take on a leadership role within the Rockies’ organization. And as skeptical as I was of Giambi back when he first joined the team in 2009, I’ve been nothing but impressed with him since, and I’d like to see him around as long as possible.

Chances are, a team like the Yankees or Phillies will pick up Giambi to add depth at first base and have a left-handed pinch hitter on hand for clutch situations. But should the Rockies find it in their hearts to re-sign him, perhaps we’ll see him make his career transition in the right uniform after all.