MikeO said:
Zito!!!!! Not even trying to re-sign him. Wanna move on to hitters....Let Giambi walk. Let Tejada walk.Damon...bye bye!! They get rid of every good player that comes through. Either through trade or just letting them walk. They say they have No money....then wham, $300 or $400 mill for a stadium. Out of nowhere!
THEY HAVE A NEW OWNER! WHAT PART OF THAT CONFUSES YOU?
Lew Wollf was NOT the owner when Giambi, Tejada and Damon walked so bringing their names ANYWHERE near this conversation is totally pointless.
Besides, Giambi for $20 million a year is rediculous anyway and I was glad when they let him walk then and I'm even happier now. the only name they have let walk that irritated me was Tejada but Beane's hands were tied.
To be honest, even if Wollf owned the team during those years they still would not have signed these players because the revenue stream simply was not there.
The new stadium just came to fruition because they finally have the land to put it on AND the financing in place to build the damn thing. They did'nt have the $400 million for the ballpark when Giambi, Tejada etc. were walking away. All they had was piss poor ownership and the worst stadium in baseball.
Now they have a good owner but STILL have the worst ballpark in baseball. This means they have to continue to do business the way they have done business for the last decade UNTIL the new park is built. Dumping money into the bottomless pit that is their current stadium situation is poor business. I'd rather see them lose a few guys here and there for the next couple of year KNOWING that the future is brighter.
BTW: You must have news I don't because Barry Zito has yet to sign anywhere. WHEN he does sign elsewhere I can accept it. giving him a 7 year, $105 million dollar contract is INSANE in my opinion. Rich Harden will be healthy, Haren is a year better, so is Blanton. The pitching staff will be just fine with or without Barry Zito.