Barry Zito Leaps Large Bays in a Single Bound

In a surprising move, Barry Zito has signed a 7-year $126 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons that the former A's pitcher has agreed to a seven-year contract from the Giants. The $126 million deal averaging approximately $18 million per season. Zito will be formally introduced by the Giants this afternoon.

The deal, agreed to late Wednesday night, includes an $18 million option for 2014 that could increase the value to $144 million, an unidentified source told The Associated Press.

Gammons reports that Zito picked the Giants over the Rangers, Mets, Yankees and Mariners. In additon, sources told Gammons that the Yankees never made a formal offer.

We were pretty sure that Zito was going to the Mets, figuring he wanted to be reunited with pitching coach Rick Peterson, who was Zito's pitching coach the season he won the AL Cy Young Award.

Of course, we forgot Zito's agent was Scott Boras and that Scott Boras doesn't care about what's best for a player, just that he makes a ton of money.

Zito could be great in the National League. We've always felt he was a "National League pitcher." Not that we're sure what that even means, just that we've always felt it. Kinda like the way Terrell Owens feels when he sees Tony Romo in the shower.

One thing this deal makes us wonder:

If Zito can command $18 million a year, what kind of money is Carlos Zambrano going to get when he becomes a free agent next season? He's younger than Zito, and has superior stuff.

With all the money the Cubs spent on Ted Lilly, Alfonso Soriano, and Jason Marquis this winter, will they even be able to re-sign Zambrano?

It's a ways off, but it's never too early to start thinking about this stuff.