Zito Signs with Giants for $126 Million
By
Amanda
Posted at 10:01 pm
The San Fransisco Chronicle is reporting that the Giants have signed Barry Zito to a seven-year contract worth $126 million:
Zito's $126 million contract is the largest ever for a pitcher and the biggest in Giants history, supplanting the $90 million contract Bonds signed after the 2001 season. It ties Vernon Wells' seven-year, $126 million contract with Toronto as the sixth-largest overall.
The Giants hold an $18 million option on Zito for 2014 with a $7 million buyout, making the contract worth a potential $137 million. The option becomes Zito's if he pitches 200 innings in 2013, the final guaranteed year, 400 innings over the final two years or 600 innings over the final three. Zito also has a complete no-trade clause for the entire length of the contract.
I don't even know what to say to that. I think I'll just have to babble for a while…
homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina
Wow, a SEVEN year contract for a pitcher. Who ever heard of such a thing? And $126 million? What do you even do with that kind of money? Next year, teams will actually have to sign over ownership of the franchise to sign pitchers.
Absolutely mind-boggling. $18 million a year is generous but not shocking these days. Even considering he doesn’t throw very hard. But SEVEN years? Christ on a cracker.
This was a takeout bid. I think they knew Zito wanted to play in NY. So they made him an offer so high that he knew, and Boras knew, no other team would match it. Would come close to matching it.
The Yankees may be keeping their big Johnson now. Trading him becomes much less appealing if Zito is unavailable.
BF, it must be quite a culture shock for you to follow one team that’s negotiating to have Randy Johnson or Barry Zito pitch and another team that’s signing Chad Moeller.
😀 Well, I like to think I’m not quite as spoiled as the average Yankee fan. I was introduced to baseball at a relatively late date by a friend of mine who is a Pirates fan. She still makes me watch Pirates games whenever I visit her. And doesn’t let me forget how privileged the Yankees and their fans are.
But I think the Giants are insane to make this deal. They’re not a good team. Their farm system is bad. Their team is old. Zito is not going to put them over the top.
Mike Hampton, part deux?
7 yrs, with an option for an 8th, is staggering. Zito will outearn the Reds ’06 rotation.
The name of the game will be internal prospect development for the Reds. FA’s will be few and far between.
Good thing Moeller and Crosby committed early…
I’d like to see some internal prospect development. As a Yankee fan, it’s not something I’ve seen much of. One reason Bubba was so beloved was because he was a rookie on very old team. He added a spark to the team they hadn’t seen for a long time in the Bronx.
It’s better now, but the Yankees still don’t give their young players a real chance. Unless forced to, out of sheer desperation. Yes, it’s nice that they can go out and buy an A-Rod or a Giambi. But it’s also maddening when they keep trotting players like Ruben Sierra or Bernie Williams out there, while the kids rot on the farm or rust on the bench.
It makes our deal with Eric Milton not look so bad afterall!!!!
The Giants will definitely be the team to watch this year. They now have big time pitching and a great bat with Rich Aurilia. It is too bad that the Reds haven’t done anything in the offseason worth celebrating.
The Giants are ancient.
Not a bad rotation, especially if Morris performs, however.
Cross another righty bat off the list. Aaron Boone is now a Marlin.
I would have been pretty surprised to see Boone back in Cincinnati, but Krivsky has certainly surprised me before.