The San Francisco Giants have just won the World Series, so what are they going to do next?
Retain a pitcher they left off their postseason roster, Barry Zito.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Giants general manager Brian Sabean has no intensions of trading the struggling veteran.
"We like Barry's contribution as far as the innings he pitches and the starts he makes," Sabean told the L.A. Times on Monday. "Part of Barry's problem is that we haven't been able to score for him."
Zito began the 2010 season better than he ever has in a San Francisco uniform, going 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA before the All-Star break. But he regained his inconsistent form and went 2-10 record with a 4.70 ERA in the second half.
Not too good for a pitcher set to make $64.5 million over the next three seasons.
The most alarming part was the way Zito almost blew the Giants’ playoff chances over his final 12 starts. In those last games, he went 1-8 with a 6.14 ERA.
The Giants tried to stick with their $100 million man on the next-to-last game of the regular season, but he walked in two runs and lasted just three innings. A win would have clinched the NL West Division. Instead, the team was forced to sweat it out another day.
The Giants already boast a formidable rotation with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner.
At this point, Barry Zito adds nothing but a hefty salary to the Giants.
