I assume Beane will now be willing to trade him, and I think he'd turn back in to his old self once he became a Marlin. Our defense and team atmosphere would help Zito out a lot. Leiter isn't looking too good and I'm always worried AJ or Beckett will end up on the DL. Zito would help our starting pitching depth in case AJ's elbow is worse than reported. I believe he will make $8 million next year. He would be a major upgrade in Leiter's spot and is good insurance in case AJ leaves.

 

If the A's would pay the rest of his salary this year, I think we could get him with Willingham/Stokes/lower pitching prospect.

 

A playoff rotation of Beckett, Willis, AJ, and Zito would be hard for anyone to match.

zito has looked like crap since winning the cy young though

Zito was hurt/discouraged when Mulder and Hudson left why would be going 3,000 miles to a new city and new league make him the Cy Young caliber pitcher he was?

zito has looked like crap since winning the cy young though

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He's pitched several good games this year but then got roughed up in the 6th inning. I don't think he does well being "the guy" and he wouldn't have to fill that role on the Marlins. It can't help him pitching when he knows his team can't score runs. If he had the safety net that a good offense provides, it would be a lot easier for him to pitch, IMO.

Yes

This is one of the most conflicted answers ever, but I'm going to have to say y.......no. I want to think he can turn it around, and I hope for our sake that he doesn't do it in the NL East with another team, but the guy's 1-5 with a 5.17 ERA. Yes, it's a bad team, but his 1.33 WHIP worries me. I see no reason to think that he'll turn it around, and unless the Mets or Braves are seriously after him, I say we just leave well enough alone.

 

I know that this is a bad mentality to have, but I'm at the mindset that from here on in, our moves should be aimed at keeping players away from our main divisional competition because there really isn't room on the roster for us to just go plug holes (unless we're willing to eat payroll in the form of releases).

Does anyone think that Beane would deal another one of the big three to Atlanta? The Hudson deal hasn't been too kind to them so far.

Does anyoen think that Beane would deal another one of the big three to Atlanta? The Hudson deal hasn't been too kind to them so far.

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I don't see any reason to think he wouldn't. At the time, most people were shaking their heads why Beane went with the Atlanta deal because LA allegedly had more on the table, that deal was all Billy, not that Atlanta pulled a fast one.

Does anyoen think that Beane would deal another one of the big three to Atlanta? The Hudson deal hasn't been too kind to them so far.

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I don't see any reason to think he wouldn't. At the time, most people were shaking their heads why Beane went with the Atlanta deal because LA allegedly had more on the table, that deal was all Billy, not that Atlanta pulled a fast one.

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Oh I agree, Im just saying guys like Charles Thomas have not turned out to be as advertised.

And you would have to think Beane would not put a guy he is probably close to like Zito in a bad situation team wise...

i dont like it. chances are he's going to have a journeyman-quality season, but he's priced higher than that because of the off-chance he'll return to form. we have enough 5-inning guys as it is anyway. let the braves or mets take him and his 5+ ERA.

i dont like it. chances are he's going to have a journeyman-quality season, but he's priced higher than that because of the off-chance he'll return to form. we have enough 5-inning guys as it is anyway. let the braves or mets take him and his 5+ ERA.

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See, that's the thing, I don't think that way at all. If the Mets and Braves are remotely interested in him and go beyond simply asking "is he available," we have to step in. There are too many variables in Atlanta (Mazzone's magic) and New York (Peterson) to make me think that letting Zito land in either of those places will do no harm. Now, remember, this is assuming the expected trade value is for the Zito of 2004 and 2005, not the Cy Young winner who no longer exists.

willingham, stokes, and a "lower pitching propesct" would not be enough me thinks.

 

i think you'd have to throw in a major leaguer instead of a "lower pitching prospect" and maybe plug in someone like hermidia instead of stokes or willingham.

Stokes isn't their type of player... Willingham is definitely their type of player but being 26 is a drawback so I don't know how much they'd want him. Hermida... um no.

 

With that being said... I'm not a big fan of Zito. Dude is way to hittable.

Personally, I don't give a crap about Zito or any other pitcher available right now...

 

But we need to fix the god damn patch in our rotation. Fear and anxiety consumes my being every 5th day. It's just not healthy.

He can keep his 88mph fastball and hittable curve ball in the Bay Area. He doesn't have "it" anymore. I guess he needs to smoke more, or possibly less, pot.

I would take him because in Oakland he needs to be #1 but here he can be a #4

Whether most of you like it or not, Barry Zito will wear teal, just watch.

I would like to see Cy Young Zito in Teal.

In my estimation, where the Marlins biggest pitching need is steady and dependable long relief.

 

In some thread Rferry made the point that the relief staff has only two blown saves but that ignores what has happened all too frequently...that is the lack of save opportunities because by the time gave is in the final inning(s) the game is often out of hand or our big lead makes a save opportunity moot.

 

We need a Rick Helling, who that would be I have no idea, but we need a guy ala Helling in 2003 who could come in and shut the door in any inning from the third to the ninth, either pitching one inning or one out, or more commonly keeping a game tight for three or four innings in long relief.

 

Helling wasn't perfect nor was he Superman. He had bad outings, but for the most part you knew the guy was going to keep you in a game. That what we need, a guy who can keep us in a game.

 

How many additional games would we have in the win column if we had someone in that roll? Certainly two or three more than we do currently.

 

Sure I'd like to upgrade our starting pitching with AJ questionable and Leiter struggling, and it would be great to add another guy who can close along side who we have now or step in to setup, but the one thing we don't have anyone (and if you think Nate Bump is the answer I pity you) who can approximate what Helling did late in 2003.

 

If I were Beinfest (and he hasn't called me recently for my advice) that's the guy I'd be searching for first and foremost.

I'd rather see them go after Javy Vazquez if/when the D-Backs fall off.

I'd rather see them go after Javy Vazquez if/when the D-Backs fall off.

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Same here but I doubt they fall off.

Marlins2003, I don't doubt that middle relief has let some games that were tied or slightly trailing get away. However I don't think you're going to get much better talent in the middle relief ranks than we have now. Even if we add another quality arm to the staff (which again I'd point out would baloon the ranks to 8 quality relievers in two weeks and could cause roster and clubhouse problems), this is not going to help Jack McKeon manage the middle three innings better.

Id love to go get him...... even if it means Willingham goes out West

It would idiotic not to pursue Zito if he is available.

Marlins2003, I don't doubt that middle relief has let some games that were tied or slightly trailing get away. However I don't think you're going to get much better talent in the middle relief ranks than we have now. Even if we add another quality arm to the staff (which again I'd point out would baloon the ranks to 8 quality relievers in two weeks and could cause roster and clubhouse problems), this is not going to help Jack McKeon manage the middle three innings better.

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Rferry, I wasn't taking a shot at you, I was suggesting that we need a specific position filled and I felt it was overlooked..

 

It doesn't do any good to have X number of "quality" arms if one of them isn't a horse. Take Jim Mecir for example, hecan't pitch more than an inning, maybe two in heroic circumstances and would probably be useful for a day or two afterwards. Riedling, same thing, Perisho ditto.

 

We can disagree but to me that's the single missing element in our relief corps.

 

Everything else fits into place once you find that missing component.