Is Zito Worth It?

[EPelle]

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9894555

• NEW YORK -- Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants reached a preliminary agreement on the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, a $126 million, seven-year deal. <more>

Zito's agreement, reached late Wednesday night, includes an $18 million option for 2014 with a $7 million buyout that could increase the value to $137 million. The option would become guaranteed if Zito pitches 200 innings in 2013, 400 combined over 2012 and 2013 or 600 combined from 2011-13.

[SQUACKEE]

Who cares! GO GIANTS!!!!!

[EPelle]

Yet it seems to continually be low-budget Oakland which gets to the post season.

[SQUACKEE]

Yet it seems to continually be low-budget Oakland which gets to the post season.

May a small dog have summer romance with your leg! :x

[EPelle]

So Barry played nice and deferred some of his 16M-USD one-year 2007 salary. Giants were able to use some of that money to land Zito.

One cool thing is that through his foundation, Zito will fund new playing fields for youth in San Francisco.

[tafnut]

Let's do a little dispassionate MLB stat analysis:

23rd in ERA
19th in Wins
39th in Strikeouts

oh yeah, he's a steal at that price!

[SQUACKEE]

Let's do a little dispassionate MLB stat analysis:

23rd in ERA
19th in Wins
39th in Strikeouts

oh yeah, he's a steal at that price!

A middle aged track nut living in Florida knows more than the genius's at Giants central? :?

[tafnut]

A middle aged track nut living in Florida knows more than the genius's at Giants central? :?

OBVIOUSLY!!! [and I don't even follow or like the game any more.]

[EPelle]

I believe the Giants are looking at things like this: No wear and tear...no missed starts ever...best season was a 23-5...never missed a start. But does that warrant such a large salary?

It seems that as long as fans are getting their money:s worth in wins, home runs, excitement and the like, no price is too steep to pay. I:m glad I didn:t ask this same question of Mike Hampton.

[tafnut]

The obvious answer is he MUST be worth it, cuz they're willing to pay him that much. Supply and demand is a bitch in pro sports.

[MJD]

Let's do a little dispassionate MLB stat analysis:

23rd in ERA
19th in Wins
39th in Strikeouts

oh yeah, he's a steal at that price!

I know this is a ridiculous question but is that his ranking for the season or his career? Let's hope the latter.

[tafnut]

Let's do a little dispassionate MLB stat analysis:

23rd in ERA
19th in Wins
39th in Strikeouts

oh yeah, he's a steal at that price!

I know this is a ridiculous question but is that his ranking for the season or his career? Let's hope the latter.

season. As in 'you're only as good as your last season'.

[Jefferson Buffalo]

Question du jour:

When this guy lies out in the sun with his brother, do they end up as Baked Ziti? :roll:

[gh]

Two reasons why he's worth it.

1. On a rellative basis, when you look at the contract that a stiff like Gil Meche got, Zito's deal not remotely out of line in the insane world that's baseball.

2. If you lived here you'd realize what desparate straits the Giganticos are in and how badly they needed to send a strong message--to both the ticket-buying public and other team members--about how committed they are to fielding a winner. The psychological value (as when they last paid a fortune to pick up Barry I) can't be overstated.

And as a bonus, note that this isn't an East Coast market, where being attached to one team in your area means you automatically have to hate all others. There are a lot of Giants/A's fans and Zito will thus bring a decent built-in fan base.

All in all, it was the right thing for managment to do. Having said that, if he turns out to be another Kenny Rogers.....

[EPelle]

Those are all very good reasons. I:d take Kenny Rogers of late instead of a Mike Hampton, though Rogers is under some suspicion for doctoring up his arsenal.

Will Bonds outside activities melt down the Giants, however? They are rebuilding - even adding Aurilia back to the team at 1:st base. If they are completely committed to winning - adding strength from the top down with a new manager, will any Bonds court drama cause them to drift from centre, or will it fuse them together?