NEW YORK -- On the day he officially can begin negotiations with any other team, Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi also is the frontrunner for the American League Most Valuable Player.

	If Mariners Bret Boone and Ichiro Suzuki split votes, A's first baseman Jason Giambi, above, could benefit with a second consecutive MVP Award.

On Monday, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds won an unprecedented fourth MVP award, and today he begins shopping his wares to the highest bidder. But even with Bonds' phenomenal season, the most sought-after free agent is Giambi, who could be spending his last moment in the spotlight as an Athletic.

Giambi, who captured the award last season, enjoyed another dominant season for the wild card-winning A's, batting .342 with 39 homers and 120 RBI.

Giambi, 30, led the AL in walks (129), on-base percentage (.477) and doubles (47). He was tied for the league lead in extra-base hits with 87 and was the unquestioned leader of a young club that had the potential to come apart after a rough start.

Stiff competition should come from Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Bret Boone, Texas' Alex Rodriguez and Cleveland's trio of Roberto Alomar, Jim Thome and Juan Gonzalez.

The A's slugger could be the beneficiary of some split voting as baseball writers will be hard-pressed to determine the most valuable Mariner or Indian.

A second straight trophy for Giambi might be the most bittersweet as he is expected to begin a very public courtship with larger market teams like the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. Oakland general manager Billy Beane already has said that if it boils down to just finances, the A's have no hope of retaining Giambi.

Seattle, no stranger to having to make tough financial choices, posted an American League-record 116 wins this season. Two of the huge reasons were players that were not even on the roster in 2000.

Suzuki, the rookie sensation that captivated two nations, became the first Japanese position player to make a successful transition to the major leagues.

The right fielder did it all and last week was honored with a near-unanimous selection as AL Rookie of the Year. He led the league in hitting (.350), hits (242) and steals (56) and sparked a lineup that was the most productive in the game. He also has been honored with a Gold Glove Award.

Boone picked the right time to have a career year. The always solid defensive second baseman hit .331 with 37 homers and a league-high 141 RBI. He helped replace the punch that Seattle lost when Rodriguez left via free agency last December.

Coincidentally, Boone also is a free agent.

The premier free agent last season, Rodriguez lived up to the hype but endured a brutal first season in Texas.

The multi-dimensional shortstop led the AL with 52 homers and 133 runs. He drove in 135 runs, played in every game and became only the fourth player ever to have 200 hits and 50 homers in a single season. But a dream season was overshadowed by a 10-year, $252 million contract and a last-place team that never was in contention.

Rodriguez's Rangers never were able to overcome their lack of pitching, and that is sure to hurt his chances with writers who equate the MVP with playing for a winner.

Alomar, Thome and Gonzalez all contributed to the Indians regaining first place in the AL Central. But if Boone and Suzuki are going to split votes, it will be nearly impossible for writers to assess which Indian made the biggest difference.

Alomar had another outstanding season at second base, batting .336 with 20 homers and 100 RBI. He also scored 113 runs and stole 30 bases while playing his usual spectacular defense.

Thome took advantage of Alomar always being on base, batting .291 with 49 homers and 124 RBI. He did all that damage while drawing 111 walks, resulting in an on-base percentage of .416.

Gonzalez, also a free agent, had a great initial season with the Indians, batting .325 with 35 homers and 140 RBI in 140 games. He more than offset the loss of free agent slugger Manny Ramirez and should be in line for a lucrative long-term deal -- possibly with the club that comes up a bit short in their quest for Giambi or Bonds.