Has Barry Zito's Contract Had Any Effect on the Current Free Agent Market?

[Sanfran327]

You are both saying that Zito's contract is not and will not have an effect on the free-agent market.

Unless I'm really misreading something.

Haha... umm, I'm saying the opposite.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Haha... umm, I'm saying the opposite.

If you think that ANY good pitcher is going to get less money than Zito, you're mistaken. I said this in another thread, but you don't think Santana looked at Zito's deal and thought, "I'm way better than that guy. If I don't get at least what he's making, I'm not gonna sign a damn thing!"

Sabathia will be the same thing. He will get MORE than Zito's contract, mark my words. I say this because Zito's has become the contract against which all future pitchers' is to be measured. NO successful pitcher will ever earn less than him. MAYbe in years, but not in dollars per year.

So, in saying that contracts will still increase, you are saying the opposite of contracts will still increase?

[davearm]

LOL this thread isn't going too well for you sanfran.

Some folks have answered "no", reasoning that any effect is minimal.

The folks that have answered "yes" have done so with the rationale that the impact of Zito's deal will be to suppress future deals -- if not in $/yr, then almost certainly in number of years.

And then there's you, all by yourself arguing that Zito's deal has singlehandedly blown the lid off of the FA market.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Oooooooohhhhhhhh! You're saying that it has because it has raised the bar even higher for bad pitchers and through the roof for good ones!

I get it now! :laughlol:

I would still say no, simply because prices on the free-agent market, outside of occasional short down periods, will keep going up. Zito or no.