Oakland Athletics: The Athletics’ All-Time 25-Man Roster

Infield Backup: Jason Giambi

In 1992, the Oakland Athletics selected Jason Giambi in the second round of the draft. He made his way up through the A’s farm system until his MLB debut in 1995. He played a plethora of positions during his first two years with Oakland including first base, third base, and in the outfield. He ultimately earned the starting first baseman role in 1997 when Mark McGwire was traded.

The 2000 and 2001 seasons were the best years of Giambi’s tenure in Oakland. In 2000, he led the American League in walks with 137, and in on-base percentage with .476. He also hit a career high of 43 homers, which was the second most in the AL. He was awarded the AL MVP that year and was an All-Star. In 2001, when his offense was eerily similar to his 2000 performance, he earned a Silver Slugger award and returned to the All-Star Game for a second year in a row.

Known for his strong bat, Giambi signed a massive long term contract with the New York Yankees once he became a free agent after the 2001 season. He did come back to Oakland for a short while in 2009. He played until he incurred an injury that placed him on the DL in July of that year. The A’s ultimately let him go on August 7, 2009, and he spent time with the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians before retiring at the end of the 2014 season.

Next: The Infield: The Backups