Most of the time, I enjoy FOX baseball analyst Kevin Kennedy’s commentary. At worst, it’s harmless, and at best, he offers insights into how the old-school game was played.
This time, however, I think he swinging at a pitch outside the zone.
His new article on FOX Sports today posits “Giants now have shot at NL West crown”.
When the Dodgers signed former Giants ace, Jason Schmidt, it appeared they had a leg up on the division with their combination of veterans and youngsters, and a very strong rotation. But the addition of Zito in San Francisco levels the playing field because he joins a rotation that includes a talented veteran, Matt Morris, and two very promising youngsters, Noah Lowry and Matt Cain.
How does adding Zito level the playing field exactly?
With Barry Bonds likely playing his final season, Schmidt gone, and Dave Roberts replacing Moises Alou, the team is already saving money and can justify the Zito signing. Assuming he continues to pitch well and shows his usual durability, Zito will become the new face of the franchise and the Giants should have a shot at winning the division.
Still not seeing it. A case can be made for the 2008 rotation, certainly (which Ken Arneson makes well enough over at Catfish Stew today), but replacing the .301/.352/.571 Moises Alou with the .293/.360/.393 Dave Roberts does not bode well for an already anemic offense (11th in Runs in the NL, 13th in OPS).
Sure, pitching is important. Some might say it’s more important. But given that the Dodgers, Padres, and (potentially) the Diamondbacks have all improved their rotations, while the Giants have replaced one ace with a pseudo-ace… barring catastrophic injuries, I just don’t see it.
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