There's a lot going on in Giants camp and their division rivals are making headlines, too. Here's the latest…
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that Barry Zito is "walking a thin line" within the organization and that there's "exasperation" with Zito. Jenkins reported that Zito doesn't have a guaranteed rotation spot and wrote that Zito would not be wearing a Giants uniform by 2013, the last guaranteed year on his contract.
- As Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports, Zito was stunned by the report. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the left-hander that the Chronicle report was the first he'd heard of the team's frustration. Zito walked five of the 13 hitters he faced in his spring debut.
- Ever gone on vacation only to keep checking out what's going on around MLB? I certainly have and, as MLB.com's Corey Brock explains in this must-read piece, so has Padres executive Josh Byrnes.
- The Dodgers agreed to terms with Clayton Kershaw on a one-year, $500K deal, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. That's more than usual for a pre-arbitration eligible player, but the 22-year-old has a 3.17 ERA and 9.3 K/9 in 483 innings of work, so he's not your average pre-arb player.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he has been most impressed with utility player Ryan Roberts this spring (Twitter link).
Must sign Kershaw to a multi year deal.. must do it.
I agree with you every once in a while, but right now I’ve never agreed more.
Why? He’s not even arb-eligible. Why not wait until he’s closer to FA for an extension or at least arb eligible…buy out a couple years free agency then. Don’t risk it yet…he’ll be with the Dodgers for a long time…
Hes getting better every year.. He has a another good year this season, hes a legit TOR ace.. I think he already is but if 2011 is a good one, hes gonna get crazy amounts of money in ARB. Chad Billingsley needs a extension as well. To be honest I rather have them sign Bills right now and then go after Kershaw.
If Kershaw keeps building his performance, when he reaches free agency in 2015 he could easily look for the kind of 6-7 year deal that few teams like to hand out to anyone. We’ve got four more years to worry about that problem though and with a little luck the McCourts will have slunk back to Boston.
500K is about right. Lincecum got 650K after his first Cy followed by a 2 yr 21 mill after his second Cy.
Yes, Zito is wildly overpaid. But given that he threw 198.1 IP of 2.1 WAR ball last year, isn’t it kinda stupid to get so worked up over his first spring training start that you start talking about eating the $62.5 MM you still owe him? Even if Zito only gives you 2.0 WAR in 2011, that is: a) a lot more than what you’d likely get out of Jeff Suppan; b) likely more than you’d get out of Tanner; and most importantly, c) YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY HIM EITHER WAY.
Zito is owed 65 million dollars. He’s not going anywhere. This is the price teams pay to give free agents the deal of their dreams.
Looks like the Giants are still one Barry over their quota.
Last
plAce
Zito is walking a fine line with me
we’ll take Zito in STL. Don’t expect to get any money paid off though.
Hey Tony Reagins will take him, pay him and give the Giants Mike Trout!
Barry Zito is stunned the Giants are frustrated? He got paid like an ace, was expected to be an ace, and despite pitching 200 average innings last season he got left off the postseason roster. Yet Zito is stunned.
On the other side of the coin, the Giants really should have seen disappointment coming. After Zito’s Cy Young season, which Pedro was robbed of, he went downhill and fast. K/9 fell, BB/9 rose, H/9 rose, HR/9 rose, etc. He started becoming a glorified inning eater.
He was never an ace to begin with and his numbers were declining prior to the deal, for the most part .. Barry sucks but its the Giants who messed that one up.
Pretty much the argument I was making. I remember early in the offseason both Red Sox and yanks were rumored to be looking for a frontline pitcher and naturally rumors of a bidding war were starting. Its one of the few times in history where Red Sox and yanks fans were praying the other team would land the FA anointed by sportswriters as “top FA.”
haha you’re absolutely right. I remember that offseason. Speaking of robbed Cy Young awards, how about that Bartolo Colon Cy over Johan…
Proving once again that the 20-win plateau is overrated in this day and age. Sure it’s a cool number but it relies far too much on luck rather than ability. Santana was better in virtually every other category. He was, by far, the superior pitcher that year.
Yep, he’s an overpaid Jon Garland.
I heard Kershaw got a “new deal”, but highly disappointing it’s just a one-year contract.
He’s already under team control through 2014. What he got was a goodwill gift.
How much is the league minimum? 420,000 – 450,000$??
I’m pretty sure it’s $414,000.
Yes, that’s what I’ve found too.
What he got was the ability to purchase that ’94 Ford Taurus the Onion speaks so highly of. But oh yes, his payday will come soon enough.
Made me look that up. Very funny. (But it was a ’93 Taurus, almost as old as Clayton Kershaw.)
Oh dang, thanks, yeah that Onion stuff busts me up…look up the “slut spill” for old time’s sake!
Yeah not cool at all.
Willie Bloomquist might be getting nervous with Roberts playing so well.
Here’s the point. 19 quality starts. He represents a terrible contract, but not a terrible pitcher… the Yanks would love to have him.
No they wouldn’t. 40 HR allowed would be fun to watch though.
A flyball pitcher in the American League’s toughest division and in the park that’s considered one of the most hitter friendly in baseball? I think they’d still prefer Bartolo Colon.
At that price? No, thanks. We’re still stuck with AJ, you know.
Here’s the point. 18 quality starts. He doesn’t represent a terrible contract, and is not a terrible pitcher…the Yanks would love to have Freddy Garcia instead.
“Here’s the point. 18 quality starts.”
Like, combined? Seriously though, he’s been decent the last two years as far as ERA is concerned. But Zito isn’t a guy the Yankees would want. He’s owed too much money, is a flyball pitcher and he’d be pitching in the toughest division in baseball.
What? My whole post was about Freddy Garcia. He had one less quality start than Zito (which was the OP’s point for him being more valuable than he seems) but comes at a fraction of the cost.
all that and in a more hitter friendly home park looks we got freddy “cy young” Garcia
The Giants don’t have a replacement for Zito and it is too much contract to eat. He can be the innings eater 5th starter and he pitched 199 innings last year. I see Zito being traded or released.
*I don’t see Zito being traded or released.
The Giants were probably just trying to light a fire under Zito by planting this story. They set up Jenkins to be the bad guy, but he’s like a 65 year old columnist and can take it. They’ll be happy to have a never-injured pitcher like Zito in August when they’re trying to nurse a couple starters with arm injuries.
Well, Zito was 0-4 in August last year (and just as bad in Sept-Oct).
Nah, don’t think the Giants were too happy with that.
well they’re not gonna trot brian lawrence out there
Well what else do you expect from a guy like Bruce Jenkins. I don’t trust a word that guy says. He seems to find a way to be wrong about everything.
Yeah except Vernon Wells is overpaid, but still an above average player. Zito is way overpaid and solid at best and thats pitching in the NL where you would think his diminished stuff would play better.