Barry Zito to the rescue?

by garp on Oct 11, 2006 12:15 AM EDT Comment 12 comments

There has been a lot of talk amongst all the hand wringing that pitching, pitching and pitching were the Yankees main problem this season and post season. Obviously there can be no discussion of Randy Johnson's and Jaret Wright's starts against Detroit that do not include the word "suck." Wang pitched well enough to win and Moose just bad enough to lose. That Game 2 loss I think turned the tide in the series because it was a team loss. Yes, Moose could have shut down the Tigers after the Yanks took the lead, and the Yanks blew several opportunites to score runs.

Everyone has ideas about what the Yankees should do to improve this off season and the one I see quite often is that they need to sign Barry Zito. Now Barry Zito is going to hold out for a lot of money and at least 4 years. Barry Zito also shit the bed today in Oakland giving up 5 runs in 3.2 innings and it was ugly. I can imagine the reaction if he did the same thing next season while wearing pinstripes.

Now I'm not saying that the Yankees should not go after him, but it is important to keep moves like this in perspective. I mean Johan Santana pitched one game in the playoffs and lost. Kenny "fucking" Rogers and Jeremy "19 game loser" Bonderman pitched lights out. You could have both Santana and Zito on your staff and still lose because some old dude and some kid can flip a switch and pitch a game for the ages.

Anyway, since Zito is the big name free agent out there this year and George always goes for the big fish, I just wanted to be on record saying that another $100 Million Man in the clubhouse probably won't fix this situation.

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Zito is

not an ace. He is a number 2, or 3. He will get number 1 money though. I have never really understood all the hype around him. He was good this year, but very average the last 3 years before that.

by ReLaunch on Oct 11, 2006 7:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Zito is pretty damn good

How many 28 year old former Cy Young winners are out there on the market? Lefty, healthy innings eaters are pretty hard to find and I think he could be a nice replacement for Pettitte. Not an ace, but a helluva #2. I think it is a safer bet that he would succeed in the Bronx than Matsuzaka, but I admit that it is a very close call. Maybe the Big Useless will decide to retire and they can pursue both.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 11, 2006 8:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another perspective

I am still a little uneasy about giving Matsuzaka $75M, but this is another take on it. Keep in mind it was written by the scumbag whose article shitcanned our season.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/tom_verducci/10/11/zito.unreliable/index.html

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 11, 2006 9:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

His job

is a reporter. And out of all of them, I think Verducci does a good job. What he wrote is the truth, Arod is a little bitch.

by ReLaunch on Oct 11, 2006 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Verducci, from a writer's standpoint, is one of the finest.

The Sporting Brews
Editorializing the Yanks since 2005.

by PinstripePowerhouse on Oct 11, 2006 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I just think they are all scumbags. Verducci is pretty well respected, but the players are dumb to have talked to him in the first place. Everyone knows that a writer will throw anyone under the bus for a juicy story.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 11, 2006 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry to disagree and risk

being told that my head is up my ass but I don't blame the reporter for writing what he knows. That's his job. That whole SI fiasco falls on ARod, Torre & Giambi for not shutting up.

Everything looks nicer when you win. The girls are prettier. The cigars taste better. The trees are greener. --Billy Martin

by garp on Oct 11, 2006 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Understood

But I blame them more for opening their mouths with a reporter around. That is just dumb.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 11, 2006 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have little faith in Zito

But I have even less faith in some of the guys we're carting out there.

I really don't know what the Yankees can do. Not too many options out there...

by onehitwonder on Oct 11, 2006 10:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Better than last winter's market

Moose, Zito, Matsuzaka, and Schmidt are a hell of a lot better options than Burnett, Millwood, and Washburn were at this time last year though.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 11, 2006 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Zito for alot of Zeroes

I've never been terribly impressed with him. He has good stuff, and seems to win, but he's a West Coast guy pitching on a smaller stage. I think we'll be paying HUGE CASH for what we will likely get 13-15 wins and an era hovering around 3.75-4.00.

Frankly, I'm tired of the "hired gun" approach the Yankees too frequently take. Can't we find that in our farm system for about a 100 million less? I'd roll the dice on Karstens, Clippert, Hughes ... did I miss anyone?

by Ronster22 on Oct 11, 2006 10:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Zito

While I don't mind hired guns (Cone, Clemens) I don't think Zito is the right gun to hire. I agree with the commenter who pegged him as a #2 or #3. With Boras as his agent, he'll command top $$ and won't be worth it.

If we re-sign Moose, there is no reason to sign Zito. Even if we don't, I'd still look elsewhere first.

by stusviews on Oct 11, 2006 1:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs