It’s very rare that I have any sympathy for steroid users, but Jay Gibbons is the exception.  Gibbons was suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, and was later named in the Mitchell Report as an HGH user.  The Orioles cut Gibbons before the start of the 2008 season and, presumably because of the furor over steroids in baseball, no one else offered him a contract.

A few months later, Gibbons took the step of sending a letter to all 30 clubs asking for another chance.  He admitted his mistake (though explained it was to help rehab from a wrist injury).  He was willing the play in the minor leagues and earn his way back to the majors.  He was willing to donate most of this salary to charity.  He just asked for “a second chance to play the game that I love.”

The Milwaukee Brewers took him up on his offer, signing him to a contract and sending him to their AA affiliate in Huntsville.  Gibbons played his way to AAA, but the Brewers were competing for a playoff spot and he never reached the big club.

He became a free agent at the end of the season, and was signed by the Florida Marlins, with an offer to compete for a job in spring training.  He was cut today after going 5-for-16 with a homer and seven RBIs in the spring, with the cited reason being that they had no room for him on the roster.  I think that’s a load of crap.

Gibbons is a corner outfielder/first baseman/DH type, sort of like Kevin Millar was when he could still roam the outfield.  Obviously the National League doesn’t use the DH, so that limits Gibbons to left field, right field and first base.  So one would imagine that the Marlins already have seasoned players at those positions, right?

The Marlins right fielder is Jeremy Hermida, who is decent enough that there were rumors last season that he’d be traded to a contender near the deadline.  It didn’t happen, and Hermida isn’t an All-Star by any stretch of the imagination, but no one could expect Gibbons to beat out Hermida for a job.

Gaby Sanchez, projected by ESPN to be the Marlins starting first baseman, has played a total of five games above the AA level.

Cameron Maybin, projected by ESPN to be the starting centerfielder, has 32 games and 81 at-bats worth of major league experience.

RotoWorld projects Scott Cousins to beat out Hermida for the right field job.  Cousins has never played a game in the major leagues.

Alfredo Amezega, one of the few Marlins with legitimate major league experience, has a bum knee and will be on the DL until May.

Michael Ryan, who like Gibbons was signed as a non-roster invitee to spring training, remains on the roster.  Ryan hasn’t played in the majors since 2005.

Are any of these guys instilling great confidence in you?

Here’s the quote from Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez:

“You don’t want to keep a guy like that too long where he doesn’t get an opportunity to get a job someplace else. He’s got some years left. He showed the bat skill a little bit. He swung the bat well. I think if somebody gives him an opportunity in the right situation, he could help.”

I realize that Gonzalez is the Marlins manager and can’t really speak the truth on this one, but allow me to translate Marlinspeak into English:

“This guy is good enough to play at the major league level, but we’re a really cheap ballclub, and we don’t really care about winning, unless it’s a fluke occurrence like in 2003 when we had dirt-cheap young pitchers under our control.  We’d much rather let young players toil for a losing ballclub and then trade them to the Yankees or Red Sox for more young players than give a player with a proven track record a chance to play here.”

What’s even more puzzling is that Gibbons has already said he’d play in the minor leagues.  So… the Marlins don’t have any open roster spots at any level in their organization?  I mean, I’m sure Gibbons would rather play for another major league team than play in the Marlins minor league system, but that’s it?  There’s no room on the team?

Here’s hoping he gets a shot to play for a real team.