Zito, Giants Reach $126M, Seven-Year Deal
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SAN FRANCISCO — The Bay Area’s other Barry is the new face of the San Francisco Giants — now and well into the future.
Barry Zito and the Giants reached a preliminary agreement on the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, a $126 million, sevenyear deal. Zito joins the Giants three weeks after the club came to terms on a $16 million, one-year contract with slugger Barry Bonds for a 15th season.
Zito’s father, Joe, and Zito’s publicist, Kathy Jacobson, confirmed the deal, while the Giants were waiting for Zito to take a physical Friday before making things official. San Francisco planned to formally introduce the three-time All-Star sometime next week.
Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner with a nasty curveball and eccentric personality, has never missed a start in his career and is eager to help the Giants become a contender again.
San Francisco has missed the playoffs the past three seasons.
Zito’s agreement, reached late Wednesday night, includes an $18 million option for 2014 with a $7 million buyout that could increase the value to $137 million. The option would become guaranteed if Zito pitches 200 innings in 2013, 400 combined over 2012 and 2013 or 600 combined from 2011–13. Zito also has a full no-trade clause.
The deal ties for the sixth largest overall, matching the $126 million, seven-year extension agreed to this month by Toronto and center fielder Vernon Wells.
