Zito to...Giants!?

[AI_Franchise]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2706672
Almost 100 million now over the past 4 years... Welfare, anyone?

[Gary Armida]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

Can you imagine what Johan is going to get? I think he is a FA in 08 or 09. That's when the Yanks will open the vault again.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

I'm not sure which part of my comment you're referring to, but it's terrible for baseball that there is absolutely no salary cap. I've said it time and time again out of all the things baseball does wrong, a non-existent salary cap is one of them. It will continue to fuel the fire that you will not be able to have a team that can truly compete unless you're throwing a disgusting amount of money around.

And before anyone says this, yes, the Mets are guilty of the same thing. I could care less in that retrospect, as I'm glad we at least have a front office that knows Zito isn't worth putting your franchise in the red for.

But, how can you say that and then see the success of teams like the Twins? It's obvious you can win with a low budget team if you spend wisely. Look at the Yankees, they have thrown money away carelessly and has lad to nothing. I don't think baseball needs a cap to be honest.

[Gary Armida]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

But, how can you say that and then see the success of teams like the Twins? It's obvious you can win with a low budget team if you spend wisely. Look at the Yankees, they have thrown money away carelessly and has lad to nothing. I don't think baseball needs a cap to be honest.

I agree with you for the most part. Teams can win by making good baseball decisions. But, those teams can never afford to make a mistake. The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, the Chicago squads, and possibly the Dodgers can afford to make eat their mistakes. Imagine the Twins signed Carl Pavano and got the return the Yanks got. That would set back their franchise for many years.

I agree with you that there is no need for a cap. What needs to stop is the mindless contracts being given out. It's funny b/c it's alot of the small/mid-market teams like the Royals, Blue Jays, Giants giving out these absurd contracts to players like Meche, Burnett, and Zito (who I think is underrated, yet his contract is obscene for someone of his stature). The Yankees did not drive up the market for the past few seasons.

This "back to the old way" of spending does hurt the small market clubs. By driving up average salaries, clubs like the Twins will not be able to afford Johan Santana. There are already grumblings on Rotoworld about how Zito's contract really gives the Twins no shot at signing Johan. In a few years you will have the same thing from a few years ago...an even bigger divide between the "haves" and the "Have nots"

Sorry for the long rant/response.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

Can you imagine what Johan is going to get? I think he is a FA in 08 or 09. That's when the Yanks will open the vault again.

He'll get 200 million easy, at this rate.

Hopefully the market dies down like it did for a couple years before this year.

[soxboy7]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

He'll get 200 million easy, at this rate.

Hopefully the market dies down like it did for a couple years before this year.

Zito is a product of a market that didn't have a lot of good pitching talent available so teams had to over pay all free agency for pitchers.

And as for Johan, minny can afford to sign him if they want to. They have the new stadium coming and their ownership will have more than enough money in the ol' vault if they want to keep him in minny... as a Sox fan I hope they let him go

[Gary Armida]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

And as for Johan, minny can afford to sign him if they want to. They have the new stadium coming and their ownership will have more than enough money in the ol' vault if they want to keep him in minny... as a Sox fan I hope they let him go

While true, they will not be able to compete with the Yankees in terms of money. The Yanks are shedding payroll now, and I could see them going close to 200 million for him. Despite all the new revenue, the Twins can't/won't compete with the Yanks. While I don't like the whole salary cap idea, not having one can hurt well managed teams like the Twins, A's.

[Vince]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

But, how can you say that and then see the success of teams like the Twins? It's obvious you can win with a low budget team if you spend wisely. Look at the Yankees, they have thrown money away carelessly and has lad to nothing. I don't think baseball needs a cap to be honest.

What's the point of winning when you can't afford to keep your own players to build on your success.

There needs to be a cap to reduce the spending, but also a floor to stop the cheap owners and teams from not competing (Pirates, Marlins?)

[Pared]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

But, how can you say that and then see the success of teams like the Twins? It's obvious you can win with a low budget team if you spend wisely. Look at the Yankees, they have thrown money away carelessly and has lad to nothing. I don't think baseball needs a cap to be honest.

Vince already beat me to it. You have teams that compete with upcoming, young talent... but they can't "win it all" because they can't afford that talent once a team with triple your payroll steps in and signs away all your young stars.

[richierich]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

I'm actually surprised that the Giants opened up their wallets for Zito. It almost seemed they were just signing older veterans every season. And yes his contract is outrageous, but he was probably one of the better pitchers available this free agency. Supply, and demand. And yes Johan will be getting some serious mula once he hits free agency. We can expect him to be on a big market team. I just hope Zito works out well because now we have a decent 1,2,3 pitching rotation.

[roadman]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

More quotes about the contract Zito signed.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/sp...nt&oref=slogin


Latest case in point: the San Francisco Giants’ seven-year, $126 million contract for Barry Zito. The Giants can boast all they want about Zito’s durability, his six successive seasons of more than 200 innings and 34 or 35 starts, his history of never having been on the disabled list or even missing a start. It’s still a dumb contract.

Maybe the contract makes sense to the Giants for business and strategic reasons, that even if he doesn’t pitch all seven seasons, it’s worth it to them because they needed a focus other than Barry Bonds and his potential legal troubles.

The Mets were criticized two years ago for signing Pedro Martínez for four years. But the Mets wanted to change the culture of the team. They were also dealing with one extra year for $11.5 million. Who knows how much and how many years the Zito contract could cost the Giants should he sustain a devastating injury or a series of injuries?

As much as the Mets wanted a pitcher of Zito’s talent, General Manager Omar Minaya opted not to urge Fred Wilpon to pay $18 million a year for seven years. The Yankees weren’t prepared to do that, either. Not even Tom Hicks, the Rangers’ owner and Scott Boras’s favorite victim, went for it.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print...193&type=story


Send a bouquet of your best black roses and one rotten apple to Mr. Zito.

There were months of speculation, no doubt fueled by his agent, Scott Boras ("My client send me to New York to make a money-contract. If is not success, I move on to next client."), that free agent Barry Zito would go to New York to turn himself into a media star while pitching for a perennial playoff team. Mets fans around the world had written Zito into their team's 2007 rotation. Instead, Zito followed the road taken (by Mike Hampton, Alex Rodriguez and countless other big free agents), taking the highest offer and going to San Francisco, where he'll have his Octobers free.

Zito should be billed for all the ink and electrons spilled over him in the last eight weeks, since the sports media seems to have fallen for the spin that he's actually some sort of ace pitcher, when in fact he's just a durable mid-rotation guy with good marketing. Zito posted the worst walk rate of his career in 2006 while putting up his second-lowest strikeout rate and second-highest home run rate (221 innings, 99 walks, 151 K's, 27 home runs). That's a guy you want to get into for seven years and a gazillion dollars? That's OK, though – New Yorkers aren't the type to hold a grudge.

Of course, San Francisco GM Brian Sabean was more than willing to ante up, since no one expects him to stay with the Giants beyond the 2007 season. Let the next guy clean up the mess. At least he can say that his team's defense is better than the football Giants' D.

[Scottdau]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

More quotes about the contract Zito signed.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/sp...nt&oref=slogin


Latest case in point: the San Francisco Giants’ seven-year, $126 million contract for Barry Zito. The Giants can boast all they want about Zito’s durability, his six successive seasons of more than 200 innings and 34 or 35 starts, his history of never having been on the disabled list or even missing a start. It’s still a dumb contract.

Maybe the contract makes sense to the Giants for business and strategic reasons, that even if he doesn’t pitch all seven seasons, it’s worth it to them because they needed a focus other than Barry Bonds and his potential legal troubles.

The Mets were criticized two years ago for signing Pedro Martínez for four years. But the Mets wanted to change the culture of the team. They were also dealing with one extra year for $11.5 million. Who knows how much and how many years the Zito contract could cost the Giants should he sustain a devastating injury or a series of injuries?

As much as the Mets wanted a pitcher of Zito’s talent, General Manager Omar Minaya opted not to urge Fred Wilpon to pay $18 million a year for seven years. The Yankees weren’t prepared to do that, either. Not even Tom Hicks, the Rangers’ owner and Scott Boras’s favorite victim, went for it.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print...193&type=story


Send a bouquet of your best black roses and one rotten apple to Mr. Zito.

There were months of speculation, no doubt fueled by his agent, Scott Boras ("My client send me to New York to make a money-contract. If is not success, I move on to next client."), that free agent Barry Zito would go to New York to turn himself into a media star while pitching for a perennial playoff team. Mets fans around the world had written Zito into their team's 2007 rotation. Instead, Zito followed the road taken (by Mike Hampton, Alex Rodriguez and countless other big free agents), taking the highest offer and going to San Francisco, where he'll have his Octobers free.

Zito should be billed for all the ink and electrons spilled over him in the last eight weeks, since the sports media seems to have fallen for the spin that he's actually some sort of ace pitcher, when in fact he's just a durable mid-rotation guy with good marketing. Zito posted the worst walk rate of his career in 2006 while putting up his second-lowest strikeout rate and second-highest home run rate (221 innings, 99 walks, 151 K's, 27 home runs). That's a guy you want to get into for seven years and a gazillion dollars? That's OK, though – New Yorkers aren't the type to hold a grudge.

Of course, San Francisco GM Brian Sabean was more than willing to ante up, since no one expects him to stay with the Giants beyond the 2007 season. Let the next guy clean up the mess. At least he can say that his team's defense is better than the football Giants' D.

I like the signing sure it is a lot of money, but that is the market. He won a Cy Young and he gives you a lot of innings. That right there will helps our weak *** bull pen. Also whe he is on he is lights out! Cain and Zito I like that future.

[dalnet22]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

I like the signing sure it is a lot of money, but that is the market. He won a Cy Young and he gives you a lot of innings. That right there will helps our weak *** bull pen. Also whe he is on he is lights out! Cain and Zito I like that future.

Problem is this Zito didn't win the Cy Young. The guy a couple years ago who scared hitters and had different mechanics won that award. Oh well, good luck San Fran.

[oakfan162]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

I just find it interesting that the Giants fans are so excited. I mean they should hope that he can slide in where Schmidt left. And it seems like their saying his best quality is his ability to eat up innings. Thats worth the monster contract? IDK, I kinda think this is Sabean feeling pressure from the fan base to do something late in this offseason that, on all other fronts, has been a major dud.

As many A's fans can attest to, Zito was never a lock, you never felt like, "we might have a little downstreak going right now, but Zito's turn is coming up."

I wish Zito well, but I really have a feeling that the contract, and savior expectations are going to not react well with him.

[Scottdau]

Re: Zito to...Giants!?

I just find it interesting that the Giants fans are so excited. I mean they should hope that he can slide in where Schmidt left. And it seems like their saying his best quality is his ability to eat up innings. Thats worth the monster contract? IDK, I kinda think this is Sabean feeling pressure from the fan base to do something late in this offseason that, on all other fronts, has been a major dud.

As many A's fans can attest to, Zito was never a lock, you never felt like, "we might have a little downstreak going right now, but Zito's turn is coming up."

I wish Zito well, but I really have a feeling that the contract, and savior expectations are going to not react well with him.

Well the games I saw him pitch were good. when he is on he is deadly, but oh well we will soon find out!