Giants Won't Skip Zito

Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Giants have failed to add depth via minor trades and the draft and it is starting to catch up to them. Barry Zito is 0-5 with a 5.61 ERA with only 10 strikeouts this season, and many are saying they should move him to the bullpen. Zito was never on a team with solid run support, so he always racked up in decisions leading to high loss totals. However, now that he is in San Francisco where offensive support is worse than ever, he is struggling to get wins. The six straight years of two hundred innings or more is starting to catch up to him too, and you would think they would consider moving him to the bullpen for a couple tune up stints. "No," pitching coach Dave Righetti said, "because who the hell is going to pitch? We're not that deep in starting pitching. Noah Lowry is hurting now and we're not that deep in Triple-A. We need (Zito) to pitch."

The Giants should consider adding free agent pitcher David Wells. He had a pretty good season last year and adding him would allow the Giants to send one of their struggling pitchers to the pen. GM Brian Sabean appears lost in the Front Office, and a change up there appears imminent.

16 comments:

Anonymous 3:19 PM CDT  

Other than Zito, who are these struggling pitchers the Giants should move to the pen? Cain? That's insance. Lincecum? Insane Sanchez? What 6ks off the NL lead is no good? Correia? 4.21 era in his first year starting off as a starter stinks?

Zito may be a bad pitcher now & perhaps should go to the pen. However, this site keeps talking about how the Giants pitching is struggling (this is the 3rd time I've read it here)...and I want to know what is meant by that. Is there actual evaluation, or just words being typed?

Eli 3:31 PM CDT  

the giants are 20th in ERA
11th in ER
11th in homeruns
9 blown saves
5-11 sp record

i would say pitching is not so good.

Anonymous 5:18 PM CDT  

So again, of Cain/Lincecum/Correia/Sanchez... which one is pitching so poorly as moving them to the pen is the answer?

Oh, and they have 3 blown saves, not 9.

So...which of those 4 SPs are so bad as to move them to the pen?

Eli 5:52 PM CDT  

excuse 9 opportunities...blew three

correia could move to the pen...he hasnt been spectacular

Anonymous 7:06 PM CDT  

He could move to the pen...but is much more valuable as a starter.

Your point was the Giants should move one of their struggling starters to the pen...and now you say Correia hasn't been spectacular...so he should be moved.

Struggling = not spectacular

That was what I wanted to understand.

nolanryan 9:53 PM CDT  

ELI,

Giants are 4.33 ERA leader is 3.10

GIANTS LEAD NL IN SHUT OUTS

GIANTS ARE 2ND IN NL K'S

GIANTS ARE 3RD IN K'S/9

GIANTS ARE TIED FOR 2ND IN SAVES NL

AND THEY HAVE 10 QUALITY STARTS- NOT BAD CONSIDERING ZITO DOESN'T HAVE ONE

-As for your David Wells comment I would rather give some time to a younger arm Misch in AAA for example.

Can't you tell that they are going to play the kids this year? David Wells that makes no sense w/ what they are trying to do.

You have to let Zito pitch other wise you loose all the value in your investment. Zito usually pitches better further into the season.

Coreia is a serviceable #4 starter and doesn't make any sense to put him in the pen, they way they have been throwing down there. What would is role be?

Also your specatular comment makes no sense for a #4 starter. Usually in that guy you want someone to keep you in the game.

I agree w/ the other blogger. You seem to not put much thought into some your analysis.

The real problem w/ the Giants isn't their pitching it's their youth and their hitting.

This is what you might comment on in my opinon.

Eli 10:04 PM CDT  

the hitting is a problem, but their pitchers have failed to close out...starting strong but falling apart after the second or third time through.

maybe my analysis in this conversation is adequate but i stand by what i say. wells would be a great guy to bring in and help some of these young guys along. especially zito, who is similar to wells in style and delivery.

nolanryan 10:21 PM CDT  

Eli,

Have you ever played this game?

It's a lot harder to pitch when every pitch you make is magnified when you aren't scoring that many runs.

I think they have the makings of a pretty good staff.

David Wells is not the guy. Zito must work on his movement w/ his FB and command now that his velo has dropped, but he was mostly 86-87 last start much better than this spring.

Your analysis is off still.

What kind of leader or role model is Wells w/ his body and work ethic? This isn't desirable for their other young pitchers to model.

The only thing you could learn from Wells is how to eat at a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Stop gap measures (Wells) aren't going to help the Giants.

Developing young hitters and making smart moves is their way out of this post Bonds fiasco!

Signing Wells isn't the move they are looking for.

nolanryan 10:51 PM CDT  

Eli,

No comment on my analysis of your opinon?

Eli 11:11 PM CDT  

"The only thing you could learn from Wells is how to eat at a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

that is where I stop taking you seriously. your right, his world series rings, no hitters, and 200 plus wins really dont make for a good role model.

what was i thinking. he is the best they can do right now.

nolanryan 11:31 PM CDT  

"What was i thinking. he is the best they can do right now."
Eli

What planet are you living?

Do you pay homage to Wells in some type of religious way?

He is over the hill, done, stick a fork in him. That's the reason he isn't pitching right now.

He won alot of games because of run support. He won't be a HOF type of guy.

He would have pitched longer if he would have taken better care of himself period.

THEY CAN DO WAY BETTER BY STAYING W/ WHAT THEY HAVE. THEY ARE REBUILDING OR HAVEN'T YOU HEARD?

A team will pick up Wells who needs a guy to pitch in the 5 spot and give them innings.

The Giants need to give these innings to YOUNGER PLAYERS!

End of story

Eli 11:41 PM CDT  

the giants are TRYING to rebuild. they dont have any prospects that can come up and help the club right now....and im not talking about fred lewis---because he is far from being a stud. the best they got is villalona-who is 18. pitching is the whole...they got nothing. if they were serious about rebuilding they would have traded their veterans.

come on now...

Anonymous 12:58 AM CDT  

Eli,

Im a giants fan here and I love them to death however I honestly don't support what they are doing. That is, putting out a half-in-half-out kinda rebuild system... i.e starting Bocock but at the same time starting Ray Durham, and it goes on.

While I do kinda support your David Wells signing idea, I thought he had some kind of diabetes thing to take care of. Also, Sabean would get even more ridiculed for the Zito signing if he were moved to the bullpen even if it was considered a "temporary" or "tune-up" solution. If I am not mistaken he would be the highest paid bullpen hand in the majors...ESPN would rip it up and run a story for sure.

While our prospect list does run rather thin...you did mention that pitching...they got nothing. You did rank Tim Alderson at 85 on your top 100 prospects and Madison Bumgarner is worth mentioning as well.

Anonymous 11:50 AM CDT  

wow that was ridiculous between Eli and nolanryan. but the Giants should try to trade him and see w/e they get.if theydont get anything DROPHIM!!!!!!

Anonymous 1:35 PM CDT  

nolanryan needs to get a life. What kind of a moron goes to somebody's site just to ARGUE with the blogger? C'mon - comment on "my analysis of your opinion?" It's Eli's site, and he gets to state his opinion, whether you agree or not. Jeez - start your OWN site, loser! Even better - learn to disagree without personal attacks on the person you disagree with.

Anonymous 2:07 PM CDT  

I'm ok with the Giants trading vets...but who wants em? Durham/Aurilia are impossible to trade...they might as well stay & be back-ups (no more starting). D. Roberts is hurt & will have to play well when he comes back to get a shot at trading him.

Winn & Molina should be easy to trade, but they are good players & the Giants should expect a decent return...ESPECIALLY for Molina. How about Winn for Headley. Helps the Pads, helps the Giants...but I don't see that trade happening.