truebluefan

New York baseball fans might want to try a little experiment when they tune into tonight's Game 1 of the ALCS between the A's and Tigers. Watch Oakland lefthander Barry Zito and try to envision him in Mets threads or Yankees pinstripes.

There a reasonable chance he'll be wearing one of those uniforms next season.

Zito is in the final days of his contract and likely will command far more money on the free-agent market than the "Moneyball" A's will want to pay. The Mets, having already lost Pedro Martinez for the first half of next year, will need a quality arm for the front of their rotation. The Yankees, stung by another early playoff exit, could use a young arm with a rep for delivering in the clutch.

Zito, 28, is 4-2 with a 2.43 ERA in six postseason starts. He prevailed in last week's ALDS Game 1 matchup against Minnesota's Johan Santana - about as tough a proposition as the AL has to offer.

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