The $126 Million Pitcher?

Is Barry Zito worth $126 million? According to the ludicrous contracts handed out by owners this off-season then yes, but in reality he is not. This is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher and only the third over $100 million. Mike Hampton signed and 8 year $121M contract before 2001 with the Colorado Rockies and Kevin Brown inked $105M from the Yankees from 1999-2005. Both of these pitchers went downhill from the moment they signed their deals. Kevin Brown started having major back problems (which actually started in LA, makes you wonder what the Yankees were thinking) and finished 72-45. Not very #1 starter-like numbers. Hampton meanwhile had trouble in the thin air of Colorado and couldn't get his looping curve ball to loop and has gone 53-48 since he signed the deal and is now playing for the Atlanta Braves. I believe Zito will have a few good seasons, especially since the NL West is the worst division in baseball. Then the workload he has carried over the past seasons and the workload he will be expected to carry in SF will get the better of him.