The San Francisco Giants signed Barry Zito to a seven-year, $126 million deal prior to the 2007 season, which was at the time the largest contract in MLB history for a pitcher.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 1999 draft, Zito spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Oakland Athletics, going 102-63 with a 3.55 ERA for a 125 ERA+.
He won AL Cy Young honors in 2002 when he went 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA, and he was a three-time All-Star during his time in Oakland.
On paper, when he hit free agency at 29 years old, he was one of the best pitchers to ever reach the open market and it looked like the San Francisco Giants were getting a bona fide ace.