I have to agree with him that Zito’s is probably the worst. Lee was a consolation prize when the Cubs outbid the Astros for Soriano. I think the Soriano contract is marginally worse…it is longer and more expensive, and frankly Lee has been more productive than Soriano so or. Arguably, the Andruw Jones, Gary Matthews, Jason Schmidt, Juan Pierre, and Eric Byrnes contracts (and maybe some others) are also worse.

The terrible drafts can be fixed. As long as Drayton spends on the draft and Wade/Heck draft well, you lost a few years of development, but that’s it. That contract will continue to eat up increasingly valuable (and scarce) payroll for another FOUR seasons.

It wouldn’t have hurt us so bad if it didn’t include that damned no-trade clause (not that anybody would take his contract now, but maybe a rich, stupid team without a DH/LF type would have taken him). Not that Carlos is bad or anything – he’s just not worth what the Stros pay for him.

At least the Oswalt and Berkman contracts are really good.