MLB Free Agency: The highs and lows of long-term deals
By Bill Felber
4. Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants, 2007-2013, +2.4
A hero in Oakland as the ace of the A’s staff that took the team to four straight post-seasons and five in seven years, Zito was an obvious Giants target when he hit free agency. He had a Cy Young on his mantelpiece along with a 101-63 record and the game’s best curve ball.
Beyond that, Zito was not yet 30. So San Francisco signed him for seven seasons and $126 million, adding him to a seemingly imposing rotation that also featured Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
But Zito never mastered the cross-Bay transition. He went 11-13 in 2007, his ERA climbing to a personal high 4.53. Things only got worse. For his first five seasons, Zito never managed a winning record, his ERA often wandered above 5.00.
In 2011, foot injuries limited Zito to just 54 innings, compounding his lack of effectiveness with idleness.
Unlike many, Zito did enjoy a sliver of redemption. Without warning, in 2012, Zito found his old form. He went 15-8 in 32 starts as the Giants won the World Series, Zito winning his only start. Nonetheless, when his contract expired following the 2013 season, he was not re-signed. Zito made a brief re-appearance in Oakland in 2015 before retiring.