The Barry Zito contract didn't work out. In other news, pizza tastes good.
But the infamous "sources close to the Giants" cited in Bruce Jenkins' story in the San Francisco Chronicle this week say that the Giants are "exasperated" with Zito, and might consider cutting him.
Zito has been exasperating since 2007. He's not quite as exasperating, however, without the $126 million price tag. I'd be a lot more exasperated with my crappy car if I had already paid $60 million on it and still owed another 60, but not enough to abandon it in an alley and keep making the payments for it.
To continue with the automotive analogy, the folly of cutting/abandoning Zito/the crappy car is compounded by the fact that there are no better cars available at this time.
Jeff Suppan? The engine has been pulled out and replaced by a canned ham.
Henry Sosa? No brakes, with seat belts made of piano wire.
Ryan Vogelsong? Seems to putter along, then you realize it's your rusty old tricycle from ten years ago that you traded for Jason Schmidt.
Something that the Jenkins report doesn't even consider is that Zito will be of some value to the Giants. Maybe not $126 million kind of value, but compared to other fifth starters he was average to above average in 2010. Without him, you're still paying the contract, and your 2011 fifth starter may break down before you even drive it off the lot. Kinda makes you want to deal with the all the stigma associated with one of the worst contracts in MLB history. As exasperating as it is.
