It's been rumored for about a day now, but the Colorado Rockies have made it official by announcing the signing of Jason Giambi to a minor-league contract on Monday. Giambi will report to the Rockies Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs where he'll be joined by Russ Ortiz, who also signed a minor-league deal with Colorado on Monday.Giambi started the season with the Oakland Athletics and hit a robust .193 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI before being released by the Athletics on Aug. 7, when Billy Beane said the team wanted to give their younger players a chance. Now it seems the Rockies are hoping that the mile high air of Denver can restore some pop to Giambi's bat.
The Rockies were nearly pronounced dead earlier this season and fired manager Clint Hurdle back on May 29 when the team was 19-28 -- dead last in the NL West. Since then the Rockies have gone 51-26 and have climbed within 3.5 games of the Dodgers for the division lead. They've also grabbed the lead for the NL wild card spot and hold a three-game advantage on the San Francisco Giants.If Giambi pans out he may be a nice addition to the offense as they continue to make a playoff push, and if he doesn't, it's not like the Rockies really lose anything. With Todd Helton firmly entrenched at first base, odds are Giambi would be used in a pinch-hitting role more than anything else.
