Zito is available

[GreatScott82]

Oakland's south paw Barry Zito just may be traded by the A's very soon. According to ESPN, with Zito off to a poor start and with Oaklands stacked farm system. Beane just may trade him. Beane is likely looking for a top outfield propect, a top pitching prospect and an infield prospect in a pacakage. Many teams are interested in Zito. With exception of our Sox, Zito fits in to almost any team out there. Teams that just may go out of there way to aqcuire Zito are the Tigers, Indians and Cubs.

[Wedge]

Oakland's south paw Barry Zito just may be traded by the A's very soon. According to ESPN, with Zito off to a poor start and with Oaklands stacked farm system. Beane just may trade him. Beane is likely looking for a top outfield propect, a top pitching prospect and an infield prospect in a pacakage. Many teams are interested in Zito. With exception of our Sox, Zito fits in to almost any team out there. Teams that just may go out of there way to aqcuire Zito are the Tigers, Indians and Cubs.

 

I'd be glad if the Tigers or Indians got him. He's basically been living off his Cy Young season and he'll cost them an arm and a leg for not that great of production. For all the hype he gets as a great young pitcher, I definitely think Buehrle is better.

[Balta1701]

He is going to wind up being a Yankee. Maybe not this season (they don't exactly have a solid farm system), but he knows the kind of money they'll be throwing around this offseason. He'll be a Yankee in 07.

[GoSox05]

I don't think he's that good. just sit on his fastball.

[Soxfest]

Oakland's south paw Barry Zito just may be traded by the A's very soon. According to ESPN, with Zito off to a poor start and with Oaklands stacked farm system. Beane just may trade him. Beane is likely looking for a top outfield propect, a top pitching prospect and an infield prospect in a pacakage. Many teams are interested in Zito. With exception of our Sox, Zito fits in to almost any team out there. Teams that just may go out of there way to aqcuire Zito are the Tigers, Indians and Cubs.

 

 

Indians have minor league depth to pull a trade off.

[Rowand44]

Be real dumb of the A's to trade him imo.

[Felix]

Be real dumb of the A's to trade him imo.

Why? He won't be in Oakland next year, and if they trade him now, they can get a good group of solid prospects.

[Yoda]

Be real dumb of the A's to trade him imo.

 

This is his last year with Oakland so it’s better for Beane to try and get some young talent in return for someone who is off to a slow start and won’t be around for the upcoming season (‘07).

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Seeing that the A's are competitive right now (AL west or Wild Card), it would seem logical to trade Zito to the NL. They would hate to lose the wild card to the team they traded Zito to.

[WCSox]

I'd be glad if the Tigers or Indians got him. He's basically been living off his Cy Young season and he'll cost them an arm and a leg for not that great of production. For all the hype he gets as a great young pitcher, I definitely think Buehrle is better.

 

Buehrle's definitely better, but I don't really want the Injuns to land Zito. Even if he's only their third- or fourth-best pitcher, they'll probalby win more games with him than without.

[Kalapse]

Buehrle's definitely better, but I don't really want the Injuns to land Zito.  Even if he's only their third- or fourth-best pitcher, they'll probalby win more games with him than without.

I think it really depends on who they'd have to give up to get him, it would more than likely force them to give up one or more of Adam Miller, Jeremy Sowers, Fausto Carmona or Francisco Cabrera. If it means we don't have to see one or 2 of these future studs for the comming years in the indians rotation and Zito will only spend about 1/2 a season there it might be worth it.

[Rowand44]

Why?  He won't be in Oakland next year, and if they trade him now, they can get a good group of solid prospects.

When you have the type of team Oakland has you don't trade your quality starting pitching for a group of prospects to try and get better for future years. That pitching staff is so ridiculously strong and to take away from that would just be retarded imo.

[whitesoxfan101]

Gotta trade him. He's going to be gone soon anyways, their system is loaded, and somebody will overpay for a guy that is very hittable if you sit on his s***ty fastball.

[Rowand44]

Gotta trade him.  He's going to be gone soon anyways, their system is loaded, and somebody will overpay for a guy that is very hittable if you sit on his s***ty fastball.

LOL, you guys make it seem like it's so easy to hit Zito, you guys might want to tell that to some hitters considering Zito has had one below average year(below average for him, still wasn't that bad) in his whole career.

[Phuck the Cubs]

Zito will be gone this winter, b/c knowing Beane and the Moneyball, they can't afford him. Not to mention, Oakland has a rotation 6-deep w/o him.

Edited April 19, 2006 by Cuck the Fubs

[Felix]

When you have the type of team Oakland has you don't trade your quality starting pitching for a group of prospects to try and get better for future years.  That pitching staff is so ridiculously strong and to take away from that would just be retarded imo.

You are thinking in the completely wrong way for a team like Oakland. Because of their lack of money, they have to trade players that won't be on their team in a year because it helps them get the players that will be cheap studs in the future. Its basically, do you want Zito for another half year, or do you want someone like Sowers for 6 years in the future (I only mention Sowers because of the Indians, I don't really know if he'd be an option or not)?

[whitesoxfan101]

LOL,  you guys make it seem like it's so easy to hit Zito, you guys might want to tell that to some hitters considering Zito has had one below average year(below average for him, still wasn't that bad) in his whole career.

 

Zito used to throw a decent fastball to keep hitters honest, now he's lost some velocity and everybody just sits on the 87 heater.

[whitesoxfan101]

You are thinking in the completely wrong way for a team like Oakland.  Because of their lack of money, they have to trade players that won't be on their team in a year because it helps them get the players that will be cheap studs in the future.  Its basically, do you want Zito for another half year, or do you want someone like Sowers for 6 years in the future (I only mention Sowers because of the Indians, I don't really know if he'd be an option or not)?

 

^^^^^

 

What he said.

[Phuck the Cubs]

You are thinking in the completely wrong way for a team like Oakland.  Because of their lack of money, they have to trade players that won't be on their team in a year because it helps them get the players that will be cheap studs in the future.  Its basically, do you want Zito for another half year, or do you want someone like Sowers for 6 years in the future (I only mention Sowers because of the Indians, I don't really know if he'd be an option or not)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

^^^^^^^^The exact idea behind the Moneyball

[Rowand44]

You are thinking in the completely wrong way for a team like Oakland.  Because of their lack of money, they have to trade players that won't be on their team in a year because it helps them get the players that will be cheap studs in the future.  Its basically, do you want Zito for another half year, or do you want someone like Sowers for 6 years in the future (I only mention Sowers because of the Indians, I don't really know if he'd be an option or not)?

No, you don't put your future ahead of the present when you have a world series caliber team, that's not smart. Small market or not you don't go trading your 1 or 2 starter when you have a real good shot at at least making the playoffs. You don't start rebuilding in a playoff year.

[WCSox]

No, you don't put your future ahead of the present when you have a world series caliber team, that's not smart.  Small market or not you don't go trading your 1 or 2 starter when you have a real good shot at at least making the playoffs.  You don't start rebuilding in a playoff year.

 

I agree that trading Zito on a very competitive A's team would be a mistake. They have enough support around him to absorb a bad first half (like the one he had last year). If Zito gets hot for them later in the year and they make the playoffs, they'll be in VERY good shape.

[whitesoxfan101]

No, you don't put your future ahead of the present when you have a world series caliber team, that's not smart.  Small market or not you don't go trading your 1 or 2 starter when you have a real good shot at at least making the playoffs.  You don't start rebuilding in a playoff year.

 

Well if they dump Zito, they still have Harden, Haren, Blanton, Loaiza, and Kennedy can move to the #5 spot (he's been very good out of the pen), plus whatever they get in the Zito trade and a few arms on the farm that could come up and are ready IMO. It's not like trading Zito would be giving up on this season or anything.

Edited April 19, 2006 by whitesoxfan101

[Rowand44]

Well if they dump Zito, they still have Harden, Haren, Blanton, Loaiza, and Kennedy can move to the #5 spot (he's been very good out of the pen), plus whatever they get in the Zito trade and a few arms on the farm that could come up and are ready IMO.  It's not like trading Zito would be giving up on this season or anything.

Loaiza isn't very good as it is, it's ok for him to be the 5 starter when you have 4 studs in front of him but all the sudden you throw Kennedy in the rotation who has been horrible as a starter in his career, so now your 4-5 isn't all that impressive and you've just weakened your rotation a ton. I stand by my statement that you don't trade your 1/2 starter when you have a very legit shot at making hte playoffs, makes 0 sense in my mind.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I'm with Rowand. The A's are one of about 5 teams in the AL with a legitimate shot at getting to the World Series. If they trade Zito, their chances go down considerably. Sure, he's not the pitcher he was in '02. But he's still plenty good.

[Balta1701]

I'm with Rowand.  The A's are one of about 5 teams in the AL with a legitimate shot at getting to the World Series.  If they trade Zito,  their chances go down considerably.  Sure,  he's not the pitcher he was in '02.  But he's still plenty good.

This is the classic KW type question. The A's have a very good team this year, and may not have as good of a team next year (i.e. Thomas could be gone, Zito gone, etc.) So, they can hold onto Zito and make 1 gigantic run this year. Or they could trade Zito, still try their best to make a run this year, and have some other big name guy to try to make a run next year.

 

Personally, if I'm in Billy Beane's seat, I figure that I missed my chance when both the Yankees and Red Sox had down years, and figure that as long as I don't give Zito to one of those 2 teams without raking them over the coals completely, I'll be better off with some other big time prospect trying to help carry me over the hump the next 6 years than just trying this year.