Monday's signing of Esteban Loaiza could spell the end of Barry Zito's career in Oakland, given the team's surfeit of pitching and its need for a right-handed power hitter. A's general manager Billy Beane told reporters not to jump to conclusions about Loazia's signing, saying, "I wouldn't necessarily read into it that it's a precursor to anything coming down the pike.'' Still, Zito will be a free agent after the 2006 season. Tim Hudson was entering the final year of his contract when he was traded to Atlanta in December. Zito is also the team's most expensive pitcher, at $8.5 million, though, according to Beane, under new owner Lewis Wolff, the A's will not have to move Zito in order to make room for Loaiza's salary. There might be enough money in the A's budget even to add a free-agent hitter, although not a big-ticket item such as Paul Konerko. Beane said the A's have had some talks with free-agent hitters, although nothing serious has developed yet. Chances are that the A's will need to part with Zito in order to get a top-flight young hitter such as Mets prospect Lastings Milledge or Arizona's Conor Jackson or Carlos Quentin. (Harden, Haren and Blanton are essentially off-limits when it comes to trade talks.) The Rangers also have expressed interest in Zito and they have Alfonso Soriano to offer, but Soriano is likely to earn $10 million or more in arbitration. Beane called acquiring another bat "the next order of business.''