Can we get our money back?

I have this "friend" who plays Major League Baseball. He has a below-average fastball, and his offspeed pitches don't get easy outs, which ultimately makes his a mediocre pitcher.

My friend signed a 7-year, $126 million contract in December 2006. That means that the team he is on still owes him more than $70 million dollars.

My friend is Barry Zito, and I am beginning to question if his signing by the Giants was the worst in sports history.

Every so often a player signs a lucrative deal and has a season-ending injury. The fact that so much money is being devoted to that injured player costs his team dearly, but what Zito is doing to the Giants goes beyond that.

In 2007, Zito had an average 4.53 era and the Giants had a record of 14-20 when he started. This stat line is not exactly worthy of the richest contract in baseball, but considering how much he has regressed since then, the Giants would take those stats.

In 2008, Zito was a train wreck. His 5.15 era was one of the worst for all healthy starting pitchers, and the the Giants record when he started was 13-19.

If someone showed me that a pitcher had a 5.15 era and 17 losses in 32 starts, I would tell that team to send that pitcher to the minor leagues because that pitcher is ultimately making his team a lot worse.

So going back to my original point, Barry Zito isn't just making a lot of money and not producing. He is actually making the Giants much worse and taking around 20 percent of their payroll with him.

I don't think I have ever said this, but I believe Barry Zito is the worst player on the team, and he is making the most money. The Giants would absolutely be better off releasing him and going with a minor league pitcher. I guarantee you Giants minor leaguer pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson could out-pitch Zito.

Anyways, the whole reason for this rant comes from Zito's performance tonight against the San Diego Padres. Five of the first six San Diego batters reached base against as the Padres scored three first inning runs and made Zito throw 39 pitches.

Optimistic Giants fans would point out that Zito settled down after the rough start and allowed just one run in his next three innings. But, he still threw 93 pitches before leaving after just four innings, and the Giants lost the game 7-2.

The Padres are supposed to be the worst hitting team in baseball this season and Zito could not make it past the fourth. I find that difficult to swallow.

Many Bay Area fans are puzzled by Zito's ineffectiveness as a Giant after being such a solid pitcher as an Athletic.

Zito's fastball has lost a little bit of velocity, his change-up has lost some effectiveness and his curve ball has lost some byte. This could be a result of the A's overworking him years ago, but that still does not entirely explain how he has gone from a Cy Young winner to a disaster.

It is clear to me that the mental side of the game has destroyed Zito. He repeatedly walks hitters because he is afraid to attack the strike zone with his fastball. It is as if there is something in his head preventing him from being the pitcher he was in Oakland.

All in all, I don't see Zito ever turning it around, and I advise Giants fans to give up hope. Nothing is going to make his fastball faster and his curve ball curve more (besides steroids, which is a whole different article).

I hope I am completely wrong and Zito wins four Cy Young awards as a Giant and shoves them in my face. But until then, could we get please get our money back?