Barry Zito, SP, San Francisco Giants

January 23, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By David Wysocki
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

Starting pitcher Barry Zito may be leaving the Oakland Athletics, but by joining the San Francisco Giants, he isn't moving far from home. After rumors of a Zito landing with the New York Mets, the Texas Rangers or the Seattle Mariners, Zito kept his options open, until he received the offer he liked from a more unlikely team. In late December, the Giants inked the 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner to the richest contract ever given to a pitcher when Zito signed a six-year, $126 million deal with an $18 million option for 2014. The Alaskan waters of the California current run bitterly cold along the coast of San Francisco. Hopefully the avid surfer kept his wetsuit.

In the 2006-2007 free-agent market Zito was the best available commodity. He is a southpaw with postseason experience and has been the ace of the A's for the past two seasons. He has never missed a single start in his career. The three-time All-Star had to have known a deal like this would present itself when considering a market that awarded starting pitcher Adam Eaton (Philadelphia Phillies) $24 million over three seasons. When the Giants lost their previous ace, Jason Schmidt, to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants made their move to make their rotation competitive in the tough NL West.

Zito has been a very good pitcher and overall consistent from season to season, although his last three years would rank among his career worst in seven seasons, all with Oakland.

Table: Barry Zito - Career Statistics

IP	W	L	SO	BB	CG	SHO	ERA	WHIP
1430.1	102	63	1096	560	9	4	3.55	1.25

Table: Barry Zito Statistics (2004-2006)

IP	W	L	SO	BB	CG	SHO	ERA	WHIP
213	11	11	163	81	0	0	4.48	1.39
228.1	14	13	171	89	0	0	3.86	1.20
221	16	10	151	99	0	0	3.83	1.40

While Zito has improved slightly over the past couple of seasons from his disappointing 2004 campaign, he is still well below his average and hasn't completed a game in three years. Maybe this is why a move to the National League could be just what the doctor ordered for Zito, who will be facing a pitcher instead of the usual American League slugging DH who sits in the middle of many American League lineups.

Zito, 28, has pitched 200-plus innings in six consecutive seasons and immediately makes the Giants a competent team in the NL West, which features the best pitching team in baseball in 2006, the San Diego Padres. The rest of the division has bulked up their rotations as well with the Dodgers signing Schmidt, the Padres signing starter Greg Maddux, and the Arizona Diamondbacks trading for starter Randy Johnson. Zito will anchor a rotation featuring starters Matt Cain, Noah Lowry and Matt Morris that could be competitive with San Diego's.

Zito should be happy with this move for now and the long term. The Giants are a storied organization. Furthermore he only has to move right across the bay. However, the Giants, who had hinted they were leaning towards a youth movement, seem to have gotten older, or just as old, as they were in 2006. They lost 39-year-old outfielder Moises Alou but added 34-year-old Dave Roberts. They are attempting to finalized a deal to re-sign 42-year-old outfielder Barry Bonds. The club signed 32-year-old Bengie Molina to catch, 35-year-old infielder Rich Aurilia to play first and outfielder/first baseman Ryan Klesko to come off the bench. The club also brought back 35-year-old second baseman Ray Durham and 31-year-old third baseman Pedro Feliz to round out the "youth movement." With shortstop Omar Vizquel, 39, the Giants will likely to field an Opening Day lineup that features position players who are all 31 years of age or older. If they can perform in 2007, though, Zito and the Giants could make another run.

Besides Zito's climbing walk totals, there is really not much to worry about in 2007 for Zito. Zito is a near lock to get his 200 innings and strike out 150. His win totals may not benefit in San Francisco, however. Even if the lineup has improved, which is a big if, the Giants are still without an effective closer. That is, of course, unless you still consider reliever Armando Benitez a flamethrower. The closing of games should be very interesting.

Zito could see his ERA fall with the switch to the National League. Zito is usually picked in any round from the seventh to the 11th. There is likely to be hype surrounding him because of his move. What you see is what you get, and a return to 2002 numbers doesn't seem likely. He could slightly improve, though, and will probably never be hurt, which gives you a little flexibility to gamble on other pitchers.

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David Wysocki

David has been a KFFL writer since 2005. He is a San Diego native and a History and Geography student at California State University-Chico. He has a writing background and has appeared in, and helped produce, various local newsletters and magazines on sports and music. He also pitched for the No. 2 nationally ranked Rancho Buena Vista Longhorns his senior year of high school in 2002.

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