Beane Makes Low-Risk Move, Brings Back Fan Favorite Zito
By Matt Furtado/KHTK Sports 1140
Monday began with news of former Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi announcing his retirement and it ended with starting pitcher Barry Zito, 36, returning to the A's.
One former Athletic ends a great career, and another is trying to make a comeback.
To preface all of this early conversation about whether or not Zito will work out with the A's and why Billy Beane would take a chance on an aging veteran who hasn't pitched in a year, it's important to understand that Zito signed a MINOR LEAGUE contract, with an invitation to big league camp in the spring.
What does that mean?
He isn't on the 40 man roster, his spot is not guaranteed on the team, and he can be cut at any moment with nearly no financial penalty whatsoever.
As of right now, signing Zito to a minor league contract isn't anything more than a fun story for the media.
There is no doubt that Zito was a fantastic pitcher for the A's. The 2002 Cy Young Award winner was an absolute fan favorite in Oakland during his time wearing the Green and Gold, but the massive contract he signed with San Francisco in 2007, followed by his less than average success for seven years, leaves questions of why the southpaw would try to make a return to baseball.
He won awards, made a ridiculous amount of money, and won two World Series titles across the Bay with the Giants.
Zito never seemed like an ultra-competitive guy or someone who just can't step away from the game, so there must be some other reason why he would be attempting a comeback.
"I just want to pitch. I love baseball. I want to enjoy the game," said Zito in an interview with Susan Slusser for the San Francisco Chronicle.
In the same interview, Zito said he spent four months working with Ron Wolforth who also helped A's starter Scott Kazmir return to All-Star form.
It would be crazy to think Zito could return to his All-Star and Cy Young form, and the pitcher he was in San Francisco is not anything the A's need or want right now, so the hope is he can find that happy medium between Oakland Zito and San Francisco Zito.
As for the Beane side of this signing, why not?
Why not take a chance on a guy who had success with the team in the past and is low risk financially?
If he does make the team, he would earn $1 million.
Zito is one of the first players Beane drafted when he took over the general manager duties in Oakland. The lefty is one of the main reasons behind Beane's success.
Without the pitching of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Zito, Moneyball most likely would not be what it is today.
Beane has never been the type to sign an aging veteran pitcher. He obviously prefers young pitching. So whether signing Zito was just a low-risk chance, or a sentimental move, it will be interesting to see if Beane and Manager Bob Melvin actually have plans for the starting pitcher to actually make the rotation.
Sonny Gray and Kazmir are already locks as the number one and two starters in the rotation. Kendall Graveman, Drew Pomeranz and Jesse Chavez are the early favorites to fill out the rest of the rotation.
Both Jarrod Parker and AJ Griffin are due for mid-season returns after both undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2014.
Depending on what Zito shows in Spring Training, he has have a small chance of cracking the rotation.
Whether he makes it or not, look at the positive, if you're going to Spring Training, he's one of the few players A's fans will actually recognize.
