Barry Zito is nowhere near as anxious as former teammate Tim Hudson was at this same time last year. Like Hudson, Zito knows he is the subject of trade rumors as baseball's winter meetings get underway in Dallas next week, but while Hudson was looking for stability and peace of mind, Zito is accustomed to change. His lengthy A's tenure is what seems odd to the left-hander, not the thought of new horizons. "What's weird is to stay on one team for so long,'' Zito said by phone. "Five and a half seasons is strange to me. I mean, I went to four colleges in three years, played on three different summer league teams, three minor league teams. I'd almost feel comfortable on a new team.'' There are sure to be a number of clubs trying to obtain him. The Mets have long been interested in the 2002 Cy Young Award winner, the Rangers are a current suitor (offering Kevin Mench, so far), and pretty much any other team with money and a need for pitching (Philadelphia, Arizona, Los Angeles, Toronto and so on) could make a bid for Zito.