Jason Giambi has announced his retirement after 20 seasons in the majors, issuing a statement via the New York Daily News.
Giambi played until age 43 by hanging around as a part-time designated hitter/pinch-hitter/unofficial hitting coach, but he struggled to stay healthy for the Indians last season and last topped a .700 OPS in 2011 for the Rockies. It’s been seven years since he logged more than 400 plate appearances.
Giambi was in the running to become the Rockies’ manager two offseasons ago, but decided to keep playing and not pursue a coaching job when Colorado settled on Walt Weiss for the gig. If he wants to go into coaching now, there will be plenty of teams interested.
Oakland’s second-round draft pick in 1992, he played seven seasons for the A’s--including winning an MVP award in 2000--before leaving to sign with the Yankees as a free agent. He spent seven seasons in New York before moving on to Colorado and finished up in Cleveland.
Overall he hit .277 with 440 homers, 405 doubles, 1,366 walks, and a .916 OPS in 2,260 games, including a five-season run from 1999-2003 in which he hit .311 with a .444 on-base percentage and .596 slugging percentage while averaging 40 homers, 120 RBIs, and 120 walks per year. Giambi made five All-Star teams, won one MVP and finished runner-up for another, and ranks fifth in on-base percentage and eighth in OPS among all active players. Helluva career.