Zito’s salary drains Giants
Two years ago, the San Francisco Giants threw a boatload of
money at Barry Zito
– almost as if he were a failing bank and not a failing pitcher
– to the tune of $126 million over seven years.
He has since gone 21-30 with a 4.83 ERA, while the Giants have
since gone to the tank, perhaps exhibiting the best example of
financial inflexibility Major League Baseball has seen since the
Dodgers tied up Kevin Brown for way too long and way too much
money
– seven years and $105 million, to be exact.
Zito’s salary drains Giants
Two years ago, the San Francisco Giants threw a boatload of money at Barry Zito – almost as if he were a failing bank and not a failing pitcher – to the tune of $126 million over seven years.
He has since gone 21-30 with a 4.83 ERA, while the Giants have since gone to the tank, perhaps exhibiting the best example of financial inflexibility Major League Baseball has seen since the Dodgers tied up Kevin Brown for way too long and way too much money – seven years and $105 million, to be exact.
Although they would love to rid themselves of Zito’s best efforts, there is absolutely no way the Giants can get out from under his contract scotch-free. They could trade Zito to another team, but the Giants would still need to pay out probably $65 to $90 million of the remaining $101.5 million left on his contract.
In other words, they’re screwed either way.
So here we are, amid the 2008-09 baseball offseason, and the word is the Giants may be the perfect fit for CC Sabathia, the 28-year-old kid from Vallejo, or could be interested in Manny Ramirez, the 36-year-old scatterbrain from New York, each of whom could turn the Giants into contenders overnight; much like how Sabathia hurled the Brewers into the playoffs, much like how Ramirez propelled the Dodgers from second place in the NL West to second place in the NL last season.
As a general manager, it’s terribly intriguing, I’m sure. And each of them could turn the Giants around almost single-handedly, albeit in their respective ways, dollars and years.
Sabathia was 17-10 overall last season with a 2.70 ERA. More importantly, he was 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in the NL after he was traded to the Brewers on July 7.
Ramirez, meanwhile, clobbered 37 homers and 121 RBIs, and even at 36, is still considered the toughest out in baseball.
But what happens when Sabathia and Ramirez don’t live up to those standards and are now signed through their 45th birthday? Better yet, are the Giants willing to bet Sabathia will be able to pitch the way he did last year – at an 11-2 pace – over the course of the next six years?
It’s going to take at least $100 million and at the very least five or six years in order to tie up the ace. The prices and years could skyrocket too, especially considering the relative scant market for top-quality pitchers this offseason.
If there is anything to learn from Zito’s contract, though, aside from the fact that pitchers are frighteningly delicate, it’s that financial flexibility is the greatest need of any team during the Hot Stove season. And as of right now, the Giants are lacking.
Consider: The Giants’ 2008 salary was approximately $76.19 million, 16th highest in the majors. Zito earned $14.5 million of that, roughly 20 percent of the entire team. And it should be like that for the next five seasons.
Middle-of-the-market teams like the Giants cannot devote nearly half their payroll to two players and expect to compete. The Giants came into this offseason in need of bullpen help and a power bat. Sabathia answers neither of those questions. Ramirez would be a power bat, but at what cost?
Adopting a policy of short-term contracts is not sexy, by any means, but it would provide the Giants with more freedom each and every offseason.
And this isn’t to say the Giants wouldn’t contend. They just would have to put a little more thought into the team-building process, instead of, say, throwing gobs of money at Ray Durham or Dave Roberts.
Unless the Giants plan on upping their payroll to the $100 Million Club next season, signing high-profile, big-money, long-term players like Sabathia and Ramirez makes about as much sense right now as a Zito contract extension.
It would only further tie more money into fewer players, thus abandoning key guys like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Noah Lowry, each of whom could be looking for Zito-like dollars down the road, each of whom with perhaps a better argument than Zito himself to be earning Zito-like money.
