Since we seem to be in search of a 5th starter...

by kitoko on Dec 7, 2010 7:15 AM PST

...Perhaps such a 5th starter is out there, and he would love to come pitch for us. He needs a change of scenery, and would probably cost us no more than $6-7 mil per year. He has successfully mentored young pitchers before, and he is the very definition of "innings eater". His career numbers at the Coli are excellent, and he has a WS ring...any guesses who I'm thnking of?

Once upon a time, there was a mellow surfer dude named Barry Zito who wore white shoes in the East Bay. Sadly, an orange-and-black Hummer limo swooped in and spirited him away. However, I surmise that said Orange and Black would love to exile him to whichever kingdom would deign to assume perhaps 30-40 percent of the bloated contract. What do you think, folks? Would you want to see Zito back in the Green and Gold?

Poll

Should #75 be our 5th starter for the coming season, and, if so, how much of the contract should the A's be willing to assume?

Bring Barry Back! $6-7 mil a year sounds fair...

20 votes

C'mon over, Barry, but for Iwakuma money ($4-5 mil)

43 votes

Ummmm...no thanx. Zito is done. Stick a fork in him.

70 votes

133 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Zito might have looked decent at times last year

but his peripherals were horrible even then, and he’s not worth bringing back at all.

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by Zonis on Dec 7, 2010 7:45 AM PST reply actions

Sabean says no

The Giants GM would never deal Zito to the A’s if he has to pay some of the money. His ego is so big that he wouldn’t want to let anyone know he made a mistake especialy to the A’s.

by Arcman on Dec 7, 2010 7:58 AM PST reply actions

And yet he kept Zito off the playoff roster.

It's because he derived his torque from the buttocks -- cityplANner

by WaddellCanseco on Dec 7, 2010 9:23 AM PST up reply actions

Rumor has it that the Cubs are "aggressively" shopping Tom Gorzelanny

Dude makes a million bucks and was a 2 WAR (statcorner) pitcher in only 136 innings last year.

That seems like a vintage Billy Beane acquisition.

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by mikev on Dec 7, 2010 8:08 AM PST reply actions

I was thinking the same thing

He is got a lot more Ks last year… Could be on the verge of something.

by DrDoom on Dec 7, 2010 9:35 AM PST up reply actions

I want him just for his name.

by the_rozeboom on Dec 7, 2010 10:43 AM PST up reply actions

Ex-Pirate, don't like it

He’s still covered in their stink. I could see trading a backup-type guy for him, like Rajai Davis.

… oh wait, the team already dumped Rajai Davis for squadoosh. Maybe Steve Tolleson then.

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by PaulThomas on Dec 7, 2010 12:29 PM PST up reply actions

What does being an ex-Pirate have to do with it?

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by mikev on Dec 7, 2010 1:17 PM PST up reply actions

Even PT believes in certain superstitions.

"I wasn't able to extend so I had a serious lack of extension."--Dallas Braden

by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Dec 7, 2010 2:55 PM PST up reply actions

Being an ex-Pirate now has roughly the same correlation to being good

as being an ex-Cub did in the 1970s and 1980s. Namely, a highly inverse one.

Ironically now Gorzelanny could be both an ex-Pirate AND an ex-Cub.

Look, seriously speaking, he’s got a career xFIP of 4.85, tERA of 4.59. There are better guys than this available as free agents. I’m not convinced he’s even any improvement on the internal candidates.

by PaulThomas on Dec 7, 2010 5:35 PM PST up reply actions

Re-unite former Yanks

Since SuSlu seems he keep saying Matsui is on our radar and the only hitter that may want to come to OAK. Let’s sign Chien-Ming Wang as the 5th starter. “IF” healthy a great buy low candidate.

Read somewhere he looked good in instructs so who knows. Million or so w incentives should get it done and could be a horse if healthy.

by Bud Light on Dec 7, 2010 8:32 AM PST reply actions

Sure, if Wang's really cheap

It's because he derived his torque from the buttocks -- cityplANner

by WaddellCanseco on Dec 7, 2010 9:24 AM PST up reply actions

TWSS?

"I wasn't able to extend so I had a serious lack of extension."--Dallas Braden

by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Dec 7, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions

Hell to the no

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by Flashfire on Dec 7, 2010 9:08 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

I wouldn't spend $7 million on a 2 WAR pitcher if I'm the A's, but the Yankees should

It's because he derived his torque from the buttocks -- cityplANner

by WaddellCanseco on Dec 7, 2010 9:25 AM PST reply actions

Sorry Barry, this is a big no thank you.

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by Rebuilding Season on Dec 7, 2010 9:46 AM PST reply actions

Sure, if you can turn back time

Find me the Barry Zito with an actual 90+ mph fastball and had a k/9 of 8 or higher and I’d say yes. Current model Zito is mostly worthless for us, we don’t need innings eaters, we need pitchers with good potential to turn our rotation into something deadly from 1-5.

by tomoyo on Dec 7, 2010 11:44 AM PST reply actions

Barry Zito has literally never had a fastball that averaged over 90 MPH for a season.

by NateHST on Dec 7, 2010 11:50 AM PST up reply actions

I think Brandon McCarthy is going to be the 5th.

Seems like a logical acquisition.

by PL78 on Dec 7, 2010 12:32 PM PST reply actions

I'll be shocked if he gives the A's more innings

than Ben Sheets did last year

MOAR SPARTACUST. NOW.

by Blicks on Dec 7, 2010 5:41 PM PST up reply actions

For Iwakuma money, yeah.

He’s averaged 1.9 WAR with the Giants. That’s worth 3-4M a year.

"I wasn't able to extend so I had a serious lack of extension."--Dallas Braden

by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Dec 7, 2010 2:57 PM PST reply actions

Bring back Barry Zito?....no thanks

But seriously, folks....

by Bed on Dec 7, 2010 3:12 PM PST reply actions

For Iwawakuma money

Yes, let’s do it.

For more than that? DNW.

MOAR SPARTACUST. NOW.

by Blicks on Dec 7, 2010 5:40 PM PST reply actions

Shouldn't that be Iwawawawakuma?

"Feel so bad, feel like a ballgame on a rainy day"-Lightnin' Hopkins

by justANotherAsFan on Dec 7, 2010 6:20 PM PST up reply actions

Everybody is just tossing off the Zito suggestion out of hand,

but if he came for Iwakuma money, that’s 4M/yr, maybe 5M, for a guy who averages 2 WAR per year. That’s not a bad deal, and he can be relied upon to be healthy.

"I wasn't able to extend so I had a serious lack of extension."--Dallas Braden

by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Dec 8, 2010 8:14 AM PST reply actions

No one's mentioned the other reason why this won't happen:

Believe it or not, he’s an important player for next year’s Giants, because they have no replacement for him at all.

This is an amazing statistic, but true nonetheless: there is literally not a single person in the Giants organization, other than their current five, who has ever started a game for San Francisco.

by PaulThomas on Dec 9, 2010 1:09 AM PST reply actions