Report: Oakland Athletics sign P Barry Zito to minor league deal

The Oakland Athletics have signed pitcher Barry Zito to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chroniclereports.

Zito last pitched for the San Francisco Giants during the 2013 season, which was the final year of the seven-year, $126 million contract Zito signed with the Giants in December 2006. At the time, it was the largest contract in baseball history for a pitcher.

In 2013, Zito went 5-11 with a 5.74 ERA, and after the season, the Giants declined the pitcher's option for 2014 and opted for a $7 million buyout instead.

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Last August, Zito told his agent, Scott Boras, that after a season away, he was ready to be a starting pitcher for an MLB team.

Zito was drafted by the A's in the first round of the 1999 amateur draft. He made his Major League Baseball debut for the team in July 2000. In seven seasons for the A's, Zito went 102-63 with an ERA of 3.55 and 1,096 strikeouts. During his time in Oakland, Zito won the Cy Young Award in 2002, and was a three-time All-Star.

For his career, Zito is 165-143 with a 4.02 ERA.

- Sarah Barshop