with the Giants... 7 Years....127 Million...

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/arti ... &fext=.jsp

That's a lot of green. 7 years for a pitcher? Hmm.

I might pay that much for the seven years he's already played. For the next seven? No way.

...who's never missed a start and the Cy Young on his mantel.

He'll be sorely missed by my team across the bay. Unfortunately I'll have to root against him now since I'm the Giants opponents biggest fan.

Ugh

Just when I think baseball's finances can't get any more absurd. People wonder why small market teams can't compete year in and year out. Ridiculous.


It's an insane amount of money but Zito is entering into his prime as a pitcher. He's only 28 and should only get better if he follows the lead of people like Clemens and Maddux. This isn't a Kevin Brown kind of deal where he'll be 40 when the contract ends.


The Giants just better hope he isn't Tim Hudson. Man did we pay too much for him to stick up the joint this past year.

All baseball players hate the Rangers.

Robin Ventura did once. But thought better of it and slinked off into the night with noogies on the top of his head courtesy of you-know-who.

As for your statement Bobby, I do not concur.

Fuck. I really wanted him in a Mets uniform.

good to see my team doing something for once - making a big signing isnt something the giants do very often. still need some bats.

Barry got mad loot and doesn't have to move from the Bay area.Can't really blame him..I'm an Oakland fan, but If I lived in Oakland I'd be plenty pissed. It's like a hot chick that breaks up with you, only to go and start dating the dude across the street.

Double Barry shotgun.

cue Beck's "Loser"

Now, that's not because either Bonds or Zito is a loser -- the '02 playoffs killed the nay-sayers re: Barry B's "choker" status -- but due to "double Barry shotgun" making me think of the line 'double-barrel buckshot'.

Too much money for too many years; he is a hell of a pitcher though.

I saw a comparison of Zito's stats, from before this contract, & Mike Hampton's, from before his 105$ mil deal (the previous pitcher's best), & they were comparable:

Hamp -- 85-53, 3.44 era

Zito -- 102-53, 3.55 era

(I hope I remember those correctly.)

But, in the final analysis, one failed to note that Zito's era was accrued in the more offensive AL. Additionally, he's moving to the NL in the new contract. Conversely, Hamp moved from sea-level (Houston... though, yes, End-run Field), to mile high (Coors).

I see a course correction, then, for BZ. Mark it.

This is a horrible deal for the Giants.

I can't believe anyone thinks that Zito is that great of a pitcher. Like many baseball people have said: He walks too many batters, his fastball has declined (takes away any Maddux or Clemens longevity hopes because 1) mediocre control 2) only an average fastball...bad combo), played behind a above average defense (especially outfield) in a pitchers park with the most spacious foul ball territory (basically i just rehashed Keith Laws argument).

His numbers will most likely improve somewhat due to the switch to the NL but he'll never truly earn that type of money.

Honestly, if Zito is worth $18 mil than how much is Santana worth? $25-30 mil per?

Mind if I open up a new can of dogs with bees in their mouths and say that NO player has ever or will ever do anything on the baseball field that's worth that much money?

Also - I wish Oakland had a piggie bank bigger than the one on my side table.

Based on the amount of money MLB teams make...the players can definitely earn that amount of money....supply and demand.

People need to just get used to it. Salaries are just gonna keep going up and up and up.

It's stupid teams like this that drive the salaries of average players to $10 mil a year.

If teams are willing to pay that much i'm fine with it but if i was a giants fan i'd be calling for the firing of Sabean.

This deal will come back to haunt them.


Bavasi also needs to be fired.

Yeah, but it seemed like these last couple years the owners have, if not officially, sort of, agreed to keep things somewhat sane after the A-Rod and some other deals shocked the foundations a bit.

I'm not one to begrudge anybody for getting whatever money they can, when they can, but it seems to me that people who were smart enough to make billions would be a bit smarter in throwing around their millions.

I'd rather give a guy a series of one year deals with incredible escalators whereby if he brings a championship to my town, he gets one of those old school Jordan contracts that pay 25-30 million dollars. This seven year bullshit is insane in a sport where you have to actually pay the contracts.

Oh, I absolutely agree. Yeah, Zito hasn't had any health problems, but who's to say a year from now he develops elbow problems? They still have to pay that insane amount.

I've just accepted the fact that sports contracts (baseball especially) are insane when you stop and think about them. And when people complain about how much money they're making, I just think, "Dude, this is nothing. Just wait 'til a few years from now."

Babe Ruth is worth that much right now.

from 2003

and his vital statistics have been declining since 2002 (K's per 9, BB's per 9, WHIP, K/BB ratio, velocity)

and some young cheap talent....which they don't have....their minors are in shambles. good luck with klesko, aurilia, roberts...not to mention vizquel, bonds, feliz, winn, molina, matheny...and durham (but he a fantastic year last year that won't be duplicated)

outside of cain and lowry they're going to be hurting in a few years....especially with the Padres, Dodger and Diamondback orgs stepping it up and laying down the foundation for long terms success.

why...are you a philly, braves, nationals or marlins fan?