Based on what league salaries would be in the next 5 years, this is a contract he will grow into. But is he worth it? He had ONE good year, 2 above average, and 3 average seasons.
2006-12-28 11:12:09 · 10 answers · asked by Curious 3 in Sports ➔ Baseball
For the money you would think that you could get 2-3 real solid pitchers. The market is real thin on top quality pitchers, so he can command the big $$$. I say no way would I pay him that kind of money. Like you said, he has only had the one really good year. But he is going to the National League, and I think he will do better there than in the AL. If the Giants have a half way decent buu pen and a solid closer he could win the Cy Young next season. I will bet he gets injured early and often in this new contract starting on '08
2006-12-28 11:23:59 · answer #1 · answered by red_omaha11b 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No he isn't worth it over the length of his contract. He will pitch better in the National League but he is suseptible to injury because of his high pitch counts.
There is long term benefit in signing Zito that it is an attempt to show future free agents that the Giants are trying to win after Bonds retires. If the Giants are not at least semi-competative in the next few years then they will have difficulty attracting future good players. Even this year, the Giants could not convince Pierre and Gonzalez to sign with them instead of the Dodgers. The only way they were able to sign Zito was to vastly overbid the Mets by $48 million who seemed to be the only other serious team. It will be harder and harder to attract premire players the more the Giants continue to slide farther down in the standings.
The Giants farm system is almost depleted and had only one player listed in the top 50 prospects on the official minor league site. What makes it worse is if they choose to use Lincecum as a reliever, which would lessen his impact. Unfortunately the Giants traded away Liriano, Bonzer and Nathan who along with Cain and Lowry would have made the young Giants pitching staff the best in baseball.
Also unfortunately this week for Giants fans, Baseball America ranked the Dodgers (#2), Rockies (#3) and Diamondbacks (#4)as three of the top four minor league organizations. So in the coming years, these three teams should be loaded. This did not include the Padres who did win the division last year.
If the Giants can't develop their own star players which it looks like the farm system can't, and if the Giants can't attract them as free agents as they couldn't do this year, they will be in big trouble.
Zito's signing is a drop in a bucket towards those goals.
Here is what Rob Neyer had to say about Zito on ESPN:
"The only thing this deal does is make the Giants look ridiculous. Granted, Zito's ERA will get a boost from the National League and the Giants' home ballpark. And this one isn't as dumb as the Mike Hampton deal with the Rockies. But based on the facts at hand, this looks to me like one of the dumber free-agent signings ever. Zito just isn't very good."
2006-12-29 03:21:13 · answer #2 · answered by romanseight 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Giants made a foul pass signing Zito to this sort of long settlement. Pitchers are like fragle eggs. no be counted how solid he's or could desire to be...NO pitcher could be signed for that long simply by suited intrest of the gang. suited occasion is Kevin Brown. He signed a very long settlement and he grow to be an surprising pitcher (while he signed it) and as he have been given older he had issues. just about all pitchers have issues while the get older. Pedro is having some issues now. Clemens had some leg issues. he's a robust pitcher yet ANY group could have insisted on 5 years with perhaps 2 option years, with some guarentees that could desire to directly invoke those option years. that could desire to have been smarter. Barry Zito additionally could have went to the Mets. greater effective group, greater effective marketplace, and an surprising center of youthful gamers to all develope at the same time for the subsequent 5+ years. Plus i'm a Mets Fan
2016-10-28 14:11:07 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1st Zito is a junk pitcher which means he will have his bad games and give up runs. But he knows the game and he is a true ace and has playoff experience and with the giants losing Jason Shmidtt to the Astros then the needed someone as far as the money...what does money in baseball matter they throw outrageous money at ppl just for publicity money has nothing to do with baseball
2006-12-28 12:11:43 · answer #4 · answered by TexasTyc$$n 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the money is crazy, that way TOO much for him. Roy Oswalt got a 5 yr 75 millionn. I personaly think Oswalt is a better pitcher. I have No clue y he would want to go to the Giants, They should call The Barrysico Giants 9( zito, bonds) i gues he wanted the MONEY rather than then an World Series RING
2006-12-28 11:39:53 · answer #5 · answered by Hurricane 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This season he was the prize free agent pitcher to get on the market. I think baseball salaries are way out of whack. Guess who will end up paying for him? The fans...
But based on the insanity spending by the owners, he's worth it in comparison to the other pitchers who are only marginal.
2006-12-28 12:13:25 · answer #6 · answered by gone 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humm baby, let's hope so! The Gigantes need pitching and it's good to see them spend the money to go after a marquis player, especially after they let Guererro get away when you know he would have been happy to play for Felipe.
2006-12-28 11:21:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Giving any player a seven year contract is a crap shoot.
2006-12-28 13:12:05 · answer #8 · answered by 10 to 20 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's about the going price for a good pitch, so yes!!!!
2006-12-28 12:11:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think he's worth $18mil/year, $15mil maybe. He's a good pitcher, but I don't think he's that good.
2006-12-28 13:06:20 · answer #10 · answered by jesus_mysuperhero 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋