Giants Officially Part Ways with Starting Pitcher Barry Zito - East Idaho News
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Giants Officially Part Ways with Starting Pitcher Barry Zito

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Getty S 91012 Zito?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1383577198594Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images(SAN FRANCISCO) — After seven up-and-down seasons, the San Francisco Giants have decided to part ways with starting pitcher Barry Zito.

The team declined to exercise Zito’s $18 million contract option for 2013, instead buying out the remaining year for $7 million.

“Just going to go home this offseason, take a few weeks off and see what my heart tells me,” Zito said. “My body’s still healthy and my mind’s fairly healthy. It’s been injured here and there along the way, but I think I can manage.”

Prior to the 2007 season, Zito was arguably the hottest free agent pitcher at that time. A former American League Cy Young winner, Zito wound up signing a seven-year, $126 million contract.

Overall, Zito failed to live up to the contract as he wound up going 63-80 with a 4.62 ERA in 208 appearances with the team.

After being left in the postseason roster during the team’s World Series run in 2010, Zito came up big for the team in 2012 when they won another World Series.

In three postseason starts back in 2012, Zito went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA.

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