[Trashed]

Now I read the posts and newspapers about WHO are the frontrunners for # 75 but what i'm curious about is WHEN Barry Zito will be wearing a new uniform? Any thoughts from our baseball experts to a humble novice?

[EmpireWF]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Zito still a free-agent after the new year. Once the Winter Meetings start (beginning of December), a lot of things should start moving around.

There hasn't been much action in the form of starters on the market yet. When one goes, you can expect others to start signing.

[Trashed]

Wow! I thought he's be all signed up by christmas so people can buy his new jersey as a gift. That's from a consumerism point of view!

[azrael492]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

I wouldn't be shocked to see Zito still a free-agent after the new year. Once the Winter Meetings start (beginning of December), a lot of things should start moving around.

There hasn't been much action in the form of starters on the market yet. When one goes, you can expect others to start signing.

I agree. I don't think he will sign too early. He will want to wait to see how much others are getting. He wouldn't want to lose out on a higher amount of money if somebody worse than him gets a big contract.

[MJHMarc]

I can't see Zito pulling in as much as that Japanese ace, Matsuku.

[MVB]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

I can't see Zito pulling in as much as that Japanese ace, Matsuku.

Daisuke Matsuzaka- overpayed
Gary Matthews, Jr. - overpayed
Carlos Lee - overpayed
Alfonso Soriano - overpayed

I'm absolutely sure that Zito will follow those who have come before and snag a huge contract.

[EmpireWF]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

I can't see Zito pulling in as much as that Japanese ace, Matsuku.

You best believe Zito will be getting more than Matsuzaka. He'll only have a four year contract tops at about $15 million per year.

Zito could realistically get a six-year deal worth $17 million per year.

[firefrozen]

I think zito will easlily get a 100 million dollar contract.
As to when, probably not until after the winter meetings at least. Gm's will want to see who they can get cheap before going after a big contract.

[Trashed]

Originally Posted by MVB

Daisuke Matsuzaka- overpayed
Gary Matthews, Jr. - overpayed
Carlos Lee - overpayed
Alfonso Soriano - overpayed

I'm absolutely sure that Zito will follow those who have come before and snag a huge contract.

Yeah MVB is making sense here with this. Zito is gonna have a kings ransom and there's about 4 teams who can pay it and are interested.

[MJHMarc]

Personally, I would think that the General Managers would go after the bigger and better salaries first before they search for the munitive salaries which would take a chunk out of their payroll.