AL West Watch: A's Bring Back Zito

Barry Zito had some fantastic years pitching for the Oakland A's in an era that saw the Billy Beane-led "Moneyball" A's have their first taste of success in the early 2000s.

Zito had six great years with Oakland, eclipsing 200 innings in each of them and winning the 2002 Cy Young after going 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA and helped the A's make the playoffs where they always ran into the Derek Jeter Yankees.

Then, Zito bolted for a huge contract with the Bay Area bunkmate San Francisco Giants, where he went and proceeded to, for the most part, flop. His best ERA in his seven seasons with the Giants was a 4.03.

But now, Zito is back, as the A's signed him to a deal after a year away from the game, which he took off to "surf." Zito is 36 years old now, and obviously well past his prime, but his soft-tossing style is conducive to long careers for left-handed pitchers.

The A's rotation has some holes in it, and it's one of those deals that is a great chance to take with very little risk involved.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us