When Carlos Zambrano said he'd waive his no-trade clause if the Cubs presented him with a deal before the trade deadline, he did so while still noting that he'd like to keep playing in Chicago. Zambrano reiterated that desire today to ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine, but sounded a bit firmer about using his no-trade rights to ensure that he will stay put in the Windy City.
“I don’t know [what the Cubs' plans are for him],” Zambrano said. “But it’s my option. I don’t want to leave Chicago. I want to be successful here. I want to help this team, like I always say, be in the pennant race.”
It's hard to believe that Zambrano would keep up this stance if presented with a viable trade to another contending team, given his desire to be on a winner and his often-tumultuous stint with the Cubs. The no-trade clause could be a moot point given that it will be very tough for Chicago to find a trade partner willing to take on Zambrano's baggage and, most importantly, his contract (he's owed $35.875MM in 2011-2012 and has a $19.25MM vesting player option for 2013). If the club did manage to work out a trade and Zambrano then vetoed it, the pitcher would just be hurting himself further with management.
Pay his salary and we’ll see how good he looks in Dodger blue.
I agree with GScott. Zambrano may want to stay a Cub, but he, as well as Hendry, are part of the problem. Zambrano would have been the Staff Ace. Now he’s the Court Jester, and pitching like one too. And Hendry got rid of Lee for prospects? Is there no limit to his failings? This is just amazing. So, now I’m resigned to the fact that Hendry will blow up this club, which I want, but I will be bitterly disappointed if Hendry is the GM next season. He as much at fault as everything else. Hendry must go.
How is the Lee trade “failing”? He is in the last year of his contract and is obviously on his last leg. Prospects are what the Cubs need. We have to rebuild the minor league system in order to contend in the future.
I agree, next up on the chopping block should be A-Ram, Maybe just maybe a contender can take a risk on him and hope he regains his old form.
I think Hendry is a horrible GM, but the Lee trade was good for the Cubs, no matter how you look at it.
name me one horrible trade Hendry’s made? or one contract me signed that looked bad at the time?
Zambrano and Soriano are just the first two that come to mind. I’m sure I can think of more.
at the time it looked like the Cubs were getting a significant hometown discount for Zambrano, who was set to make huge money if he went to free agency, and the Cubs weren’t the only ones throwing money at Soriano that offseason.
Fukudome took less money to play with the Cubs then he could have made, Ramirez signed for a hometown discount, so did Lee. He landed Lilly while everybody else was chasing Zito and Jason Schmidt, and the fact Milton Bradley couldn’t take Chicago isn’t his fault.
So Hendry hasn’t won a World Series… neither has Billy Beane. Free Agents are hit and miss, and if these are the only two bad contracts you can come up with, i think it shows Hendry’s actually pretty good.
Koske Fukidome, having to release Mark DeRosa AND Reed Johnson to cover the contracts of Fukidome and Soriano, Jaramillo the ‘hitting’ Coach. What did he get, $75 million?
As I say often, I’m in favor of blowing up this Team, as long as Hendry is gone too.
HENDRY MUST GO! HENDRY MUST GO! HENDRY MUST GO! HENDRY MUST GO!
Oh! And Milton Bradley! In fact, I’m surprised that Jose’ Guillen didn’t end up as a Cub. Same baggage as Bradley. I thought Hendry was attracted to ‘luggage’. Guillien is now on his tenth team (Gi-aints) since 1999.
yeah, because DeRosa and Johnson have done so much since being released.
I remember the McPhail era, the years of 3rd place teams and a barren farm system. Hendry got us closer than ever to ending the drought, and did it while rebuilding the system. We can do far, far worse than Jim Hendry.
I agree. Zambrano may want to stay a Cub, but he, as well as Hendry, are part of the problem. Zambrano would have been the Staff Ace. Now he’s the Court Jester, and pitching like one too. And Hendry got rid of Lee for prospects? Is there no limit to Hendry’s failings? This is just amazing. So, now I’m resigned to the fact that Hendry will blow up this club, but I will be bitterly disappointed if Hendry is the GM next season.
I want to be a Cub too.
What, and never get an opportunity to win a World Series, jet alone make one? 🙂
i dont
I don’t see the Cubs making a final decision on eating Z’s salary until after they name a new manager and talk to him about the issue. I think there’s a good chance they still have Zambrano at least in Spring Training, hoping for him to show his velocity is up so they can deal him for some value. Any new manager without a long pedigree would probably feel he should be able to manage Zambrano; in other words, a Torre or Girardi could just say “I don’t want to mess around with this guy” but Sandberg would say “Give me a chance to turn him around.” In the end, it comes down to whether Zambrano’s shoulder is healthy enough to be an effective starter. I see a deal to the Mets in March, once Chicago realizes they have other options and New York admits they need another starter.
It’s a moot point. Big Z’s big contract is untradeable. He will stay a Cub whether he wants to or not. Hendry (or his successor) will have to eat most of that contract to move it.
I seriously can’t understand why people think Z is untradeable. It’s all a matter of how much the Cubs are willing to eat of the 2/$38 remaining (I don’t think he can get the 2012 to vest) to make the risk of obtaining him palatable. If there’s one think we learn in sports is that no matter what your baggage is, teams will forgive you if you produce. How many steroid users have openly been accepted by teams? How many alleged or confirmed wife beaters are in baseball right now? MILTON BRADLEY for goodness, keeps landing with different teams. As much of a commodity as pitching is and as weak as this winters FA options are after Cliff Lee is off the board, Z at a fraction of what is owed (Cubs will probably have to eat 60-75%) some team will want him, hoping that a change of scenery will invigorate big Z and foster a return to at least a middle of the rotation starter.
I think Z would be a nice addition to a team like the Minnesota, Detroit or the Rangers.
I can’t see Zambrano going to the Twins, they can’t spend money like that like larger market teams and besides he may get lit up in the AL
I woudl like to see the Cubs take the 4.5 million they saved by trading Lee, Lilly, Theriot and Fontenot and pay Zambrano that money now to take it off his salary over 2011-12. That would push his number down to just over 31 million for two years. If they can’t trade him, at least they created some payroll flexibility. If they can trade him, that’s less money they will have to eat as part of the deal.
If they Mariners do decide to flip Chone Figgins and his 27 million over the 2011-13 seasons, thsi would be a nice trade chance for the Cubs. Zambrano, Blake DeWitt and 4 million for Figgins…..
The Mariners can be the dumping ground for bad Cub contracts
considering the likely free agent market for pitchers, i wouldn’t be surprised if the Cubs did hold on to Z next year. they’d have to pay most of his salary to move him, then go out and find another FA pitcher to replace him, likely overpaying by a lot just for a 3/4 type, so long term you don’t save anything. If Zambrano has a good year, or at least a good first half, and the Cubs are still in rebuilding mode, then his salary’s not that big of an issue and you can move him for a much, much better return both financially and prospect wise.
I coiuld still see Zambrano staying in Chicago, but with the Chisox. There is no certainty that Peavy would come back to form after his season ending surgery this year, that Edwin Jackson remains on the roster or that Danks/ Freddy Garcia re-sign. It’s already known that Zambrano and Ozzie go way back as family friends, which me help with his temper . If the Cubs would eat a good part of the salary, it may worth Kenny William’s time to look into. l