In what has become the Arizona Diamondbacks' worst nightmare (or blessed dream?), the pitcher whom they cut in what was the largest buyout in baseball history, has been recently named a starter for an intra-divisional opponent. That's right, Russ Ortiz, who ate himself into oblivion shortly after signing a fatty four-year $33 million contract with Arizona in December '04, grabbed the No. 5 spot in the Giants rotation. Worst of all, Ortiz has I realize this is not a new concept by any means; it's often that our out-of-shape (unless round counts), lazy, and rich athletes underperform one place, only to turn it around somewhere else. But jeez, when was the last time you recall such a highly paid pitcher (with such a high proportion of the contract being paid by the old team) picked up by an opponent within the division, and then showing signs of success?
By my count, the D-Backs and Giants will meet 18 times this year, which should give Arizona a handful of opportunities to avenge the money and space Ortiz wasted. Seriously though, if the Giants are paying Ortiz a shade over 10 grand per start, and the D-Backs are shelling out around $2 million every time Ortiz pitches against them, you would think the least he could do is serve up a couple of gopher balls as a thank you. After all, that's something we know he can do well.
Previously at FanHouse:
Russ Ortiz Is Afraid of Treadmills
