The MLB postseason is underway, and 25-man rosters are set to inflict maximum damage within the reason for victory. After much deliberation, San Francisco Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy has decided to leave pitcher Barry Zito off the Giants’ playoff roster. The National League West champions will go with a three-pitcher beginning rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The left-handed starter Zito, who came to the Giants on a $ 126 million free-agent deal, will not throw a single pitch for the rest of 2010, barring unforeseen injury to a teammate. That’s a huge financial hit for the Giants, but when it comes to giving the team the best possible chance to win, it is the right decision.
Giants’ playoff roster keeps former ace on the sidelines!
The playoff roster for the Giants has 11 pitchers on it. Barry Zito earned more in the 2010 season than any of them though. The salary Zito had been making had been higher than any person on the team. He was making $ 18.5 million on salary. The 29-year-old left-hander has had trouble spotting his fastball this season, enabling hitters either hit Zito’s curve hard or watch it drop out of the strike zone. October 2 had been the first time that Zito had this problem while against the San Diego Padres. Unfortunately, a title was on the line. The National League West was the title. Zito forced in multiple runs during the forgettable performance with bases-loaded walks. He also took the loss, ending his season with a 9-14 record. Zito’s performance had been called by the San Jose Mercury News, “one of the least impressive efforts of his four unimpressive seasons with the team.”
Contract had been long-term guaranteed
It might seem like a long-term deal is a fantastic one to make. However, the guaranteed money that comes from such contracts is astronomical. Barry Zito made a contract with the San Francisco Giants for seven years and $ 126 million at the beginning of the 2007 season. Zito played for the Oakland Athletics in 2002 where he went 23-5. That had been an amazing season that he hasn’t lived up to in any season since.
It makes sense that the Giants would need to overpay just a little bit to get a good pitcher with the free-market, but $ 126 million for seven years is too much for someone who isn’t really that great at pitching. Zito could get injured, never play again and still be set for life financially. The Giants get the bad end of the deal. A lot of money would be put into something not helping them.
Info from
Baseball Reference
baseball-reference.com/players/z/zitoba01.shtml
San Jose Mercury News
mercurynews.com/giants/ci_16239259?nclick_check=1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
stltoday.com/sports/baseball/article_fb8663dd-6c64-5030-8b2d-3b549f4d90cc.html
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