A.J. to Javy to Zito: most embarrassing?

Barry Zito will not be on the Giants postseason roster, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Like Zito, Javier Vazquez didn’t make the Yankees postseason roster and A.J. Burnett didn’t earn a spot in the postseason rotation. Of the three overpaid pitchers, who is the most embarrassing?

A) Case for A.J.: ($82.5MM contract)
Not only was he booted from the rotation, but Burnett didn’t even believe he belonged in it. “Those three have been our horses all year,” Burnett said. “It would be silly for Hughesy not to start.” He’s not lying through his teeth, either. He finished the year with a 5.26 ERA and a 10-15 record, for a .593 club! However, I’d be remiss not to tell you he did lead the league in one pitching category this year: Hit batters. Embarrassing.

J) Case for Javy: ($34.5MM contract)
Let’s get right into the first and second half splits for Javy:

Time	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	WHIP
First Half	7	7	4.45	95	80	1.22
Second Half	3	3	6.64	62.1	41	1.67

Awful. Just awful. For the first time in his regular season career, he was kicked out of the rotation. He made five relief appearances, snapping a 10-year streak of 30 or more starts in a year. Vazquez lost that streak because he was ineffective. Plain and simple. His 157 1/3 innings this season was his second lowest total of his career and lowest since 1999. And in one of those relief appearances he hit three batters in a row. Embarrassing.

Z) Case for Zito: ($126MM contract)
After a blazing start to the season (4-0, 1.53 April), it was all downhill for Zito in 2010. From Aug. 17 to Oct. 2, Zito went 1-8 with a 6.80 ERA. The Giants were lucky to win the NL West with him in the rotation. Embarrassing.

My Final Answer:
I’m going with Z, final answer. His contract is bigger than both A.J.’s and Javy’s combined.