Top News:
ESPN:
Sources: Zito's Giants deal worth about $18M per year — Barry Zito is staying in the Bay Area with the San Francisco Giants. — Sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons that Zito will receive a seven-year contract from the Giants, with the deal averaging approximately $18 million per season.
Discussion:
Dodger Hill, Yankees Chick, Blogging Baseball, The Big Lead, Baseball Crank, Roto Authority Fantasy …, El Lefty Malo, SBG, The World's …, Pride of the Yankees, Gaslamp Ball, Giants Cove, MiracleMets.net, Evening Perambulations, GROTA, Yankees 2000, Yanksfan vs Soxfan, The Parrot, With Leather, Lookout Landing, Mike's Mets, YanksBlog.com, Zisk Online and It's Outta Here!
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Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
No joy in Metville; Omar has struck out — Columnist Ken Davidoff feels the Mets have taken a step back by not signing the high-profile pitcher. — The Giants completed their seven-year, $126-million agreement with Barry Zito very late Wednesday night, and immediately …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants finally make a big splash, sign Zito to largest pitcher contract ever — (12-28) 13:50 PST — A four-dollar toll? That's nothing. — The Giants have reached deep into their wallets and agreed to pay $126 million to bring longtime A's ace Barry Zito across the Bay Bridge …
Rich Draper / MLB.com:
Zito agrees to huge deal with Giants — SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants' rotation just got better. — Left-handed pitcher Barry Zito has agreed to a seven-year, $126 million contract, according to The Associated Press and an MLB.com source. — Zito, 28, who has starred for the Oakland A's …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
With Zito off market, Mets move on — Mets GM says it's a 'long shot' team will acquire an ace — NEW YORK — No team ever has won or lost a pennant or even a game in December. Of that Omar Minaya is certain. So the Mets general manager, while disappointed Barry Zito …
Sports Illustrated:
Zito to sign with Giants — Free agent agrees to seven-year, $126 million deal — Barry Zito has agreed in principle to a deal to jump across the Bay and join the San Francisco Giants after starring for six years with the rival Oakland A's, SI.com has learned.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Associated Press:
Giants, Zito reach whopping $126M deal, biggest yet for pitcher — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — NEW YORK — Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants reached a preliminary agreement on the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, a $126 million, seven-year deal.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Transaction Oracle:
Giants - Reportedly have Signed Zito — San Francisco Giants - Have reportedly come to terms with P Barry Zito on a 7-year, $126 million contract. — When I see the "7-year, $126 million contract" I think that I'm looking at some NFL contract in which a team gives this amount to their QB …
NY Daily News:
Yanks, D-Backs close to Unit deal — The Diamondbacks have been the most aggressive suitors for Randy Johnson and sources close to the negotiations said yesterday that the Yankees and Arizona could complete a trade to send Johnson back to the desert before next week.
RELATED:
Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:Done deal: Igawa signs for five years
Discussion:
What's Wrong With Portland …
Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Ramirez will have precautionary shoulder checkup … MIAMI — Hanley Ramirez, last season's NL Rookie of the Year, arrived in Miami for a checkup on his left shoulder due to a recurrence of soreness while playing with the Licey Tigers in the Dominican winter league.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Sun-Sentinel:
Larry Beinfest — Marlins — 2006 highlights: Beinfest could already boast sculpting a World Series champion in 2003, but last season the front office did some of its finest work. Faced with the task of trading all of the club's high-priced veterans, Beinfest and his lieutenants assembled …
Discussion:
FishStripes
Richard / SportsJustice:
As spring training approaches, the Astros are still busy. — Just 49 days until pitchers and catchers report to Kissimmee... • This is an interesting part of the off-season because the big-ticket acquisitions are pretty much done. Now teams begin stocking their roster with low-profile additions.
Jeff Sackmann / Hardball Times:
More Fun With Rotation Numbers — My article on Wednesday, How Good Is Your #4 Starter, presented some counterintuitive findings on starting rotations, such as—big surprise—how good an average #4 starter is. Due to injuries and the related fact that the guy who starts the year …
