Is the Trade Market for Carlos Zambrano Going to Shape Up?
One of the many pieces the Chicago Cubs would no doubt like to move is currently-restricted pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Still away from the team while he receives anger management treatment and evaluation, Zambrano would likely welcome a trade – despite his no-trade clause – as he’s going to be stuck in the bullpen upon his return to the Cubs. But could the Cubs actually manage to trade him?
Even if Zambrano were willing to waive his no-trade clause, the remaining $40 million-plus left on a contract that runs through 2012 is the obvious hurdle.
But the closer we get to the July 31 non-waiver deadline — and depending on how tough it is to get Cliff Lee from Seattle for contenders in need — Zambrano’s potential market could widen at least modestly.
The White Sox suddenly are down a starting pitcher, in the thick of a division race. And the Cubs’ opponent this weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are seeking a starter and have been looking hard at Houston’s Roy Oswalt.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre sidestepped a question about potential interest in Zambrano.
”That’s tampering,” Torre said, adding, ”It’s sad what this kid must be going through. That’s all I can say. It’s nice to help your team, but I hate to see … I’m glad that people are dealing with stuff. It’s not easy.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
The White Sox possibility is a legitimate one. Setting aside the new need – due to the Jake Peavy injury – there are two other reasons for optimism regarding a Zambrano-White Sox trade. First, Zambrano likes Chicago, and getting him to waive his no-trade clause to go across town would be a cinch. Second, Ozzie Guillen likes Zambrano. Better still, he could probably handle Zambrano.
Still, the question is whether Kenny Williams – like it or lump it, the guy is a shrewd GM – would take on a risk like Zambrano.
Otherwise, it remains to be seen whether teams would actually view Zambrano is a worthwhile option to add to their rotation as they make a run at the playoffs. Sure, he’s been great as recently as a year ago, but since mid-season last year, few have been worse or more inconsistent. And that’s before you even consider the crazy factor. I have a hard time envisioning a team considering Zambrano a legitimate back-up plan to acquiring Cliff Lee – at least not while Ted Lilly is also available.
Regardless, set your expectations low: the Cubs will receive salary relief or a couple decent prospects for Zambrano, but not both.
Zambranogate: Ozzie Guillen Says Zambrano Has Talked to the Cubs
Despite reports every which way indicating that Carlos Zambrano has not been in contact with the Chicago Cubs, or any of his teammates, since being dismissed by the team last Friday, Ozzie Guillen – Zambrano’s dinner-mate that same Friday evening – says that Zambrano’s spoken with the Cubs and that everything is fine.
He also says anger management might work for Zambrano, even if it didn’t work for him.
Zambrano is scheduled to have some anger management counseling before returning to the Cubs.
Ozzie had similar counseling in 2006.
“I don’t think you’re going to change (Zambrano),” Ozzie said. “For me, it didn’t work. I’m the same … when you make a statement and you’re willing to do something, you have to back it up. If you told your team, ‘I apologize and I’m sorry’ and you mean it and move on, people will (forgive). I think Carlos is doing the right thing. I think the Cubs are doing the right thing.
“But enough is enough. Carlos has already talked with the Cubs. Everything is good with the Cubs. I don’t say great, but it’s better, everything is on the table. He’s doing what he should be doing, going for help. Be sure you talk to the team and move on.” DailyHerald.com.
So, is Ozzie just spouting off, or does he know that Z really has spoken to the Cubs and that the two sides are feeling harmonious? Seems like we would have heard about it if the latter were true, or it would seem at least that this Ozzie quote would be getting much more play.
As for the rest of what Ozzie had to say, I do like that he’s sending the loaded message to Z: apologize and move on. Who knows if the wounds are still too deep – we’ve not yet heard the full story, of this I remain convinced – but Ozzie clearly does have Z’s best interests in mind. I’m fine with that.
Zambranogate: Carlos Zambrano Says It was Derrek Lee’s Fault
As the World Turns…
Video of Zambranogate shows the pitcher storming into the dugout after giving up four runs in the first inning on Friday, shouting – at no one in particular – and gesticulating wildly. Derrek Lee can be seen shouting “shut the f*ck up” to Zambrano, who turns, and directs his anger more visibly at Lee. All reports – from writers, the players, and management – indicated that Zambrano’s initial yelling, though not directed at Derrek Lee’s face, was about Lee’s play in the first inning, as well as other Cubs.
Carlos Zambrano apparently says that’s not the way it happened.
Zambrano already is calling his actions Friday ”completely misunderstood” and blaming Derrek Lee for turning it into a big deal by confronting him during his ranting and raving after the White Sox’ four-run first inning.
”All he wanted to do was pump the team up. It was completely misunderstood,” a source close to Zambrano said, adding that Lee ”took it personal” and told Zambrano to ”shut the f— up.”
Yet team sources say Zambrano’s rant — much of which was in Spanish — included yelling, ”This team is horse s—-!”
That’s when Lee is caught on camera intervening and telling Zambrano to shut up.
They had to be separated.
So, about Zambrano’s version?
”That’s not the way we see it,” said Alfonso Soriano, who planned to call Zambrano on Saturday night. ”If he explains, maybe we can see it the way his friend sees it. But what he said wasn’t right.”
As one Cub put it, ”Anybody who believes [Zambrano's version] must be smoking something.”
Asked if teammates could forgive Zambrano, Soriano said, ”I don’t know.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Zambrano has never had a vocal group of supporters in the Cubs clubhouse, but I honestly never believed it would come to this. Teammates are going out of their way to criticize Zambrano – something that, although common for the Cubs in recent years, you just never see on other teams.
He’s not helping himself by staying out of contact with the Cubs (though Carlos saw fit to go out to dinner with Ozzie Guillen the night he was dismissed from the team), but if there is this much hostility directed toward him over an incident that appears, on first glance, to be little more than Carlos being Carlos, that suggests that he’s probably right to keep his distance.
It also suggests that there’s a lot more than meets the eye going on here. A few years ago, Zambrano lost it on teammate Michael Barrett in the dugout. Carlos chased him down in the clubhouse, and beat his ass. There was some flap over it, but nothing compared to what’s happening now. Might that be because there’s more going on behind the scenes?
When was the last time you heard a manager and GM – and teammates – being so vocally critical of a player? Ok, bad question to ask Cubs fans. But again I say, on other teams, this shit just doesn’t happen. I’m not getting into the whole the-Cubs-pick-the-wrong-players-and-take-on-unnecessary-risks thing; I’m just saying that there’s probably a whole lot more to this story than we’ve yet heard about.
And Zambrano offering his side is just the beginning.
Wow: Carlos Zambrano Really Did Have Dinner With Ozzie Guillen Last Night
After yesterday’s Carlos Zambaster (that’s Zambrano and disaster together – I’m cool), Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen seemingly joked in the post-game press conference that he and Zambrano would be having dinner that evening, and Carlos “would have plenty of time to get a reservation.”
So, yeah. He wasn’t kidding.
11:15 p.m. Having dinner whit carlos and his family. Great dinner a lot fun and talk. Ozzie Guillen’s Twitter.
I know that the two are friends, and thus, on that level, I have no problem with them getting together for dinner.
But seriously? After what happened yesterday? You’re going to go out with the opposing manager, and yuck it up with your families? You’ve just been suspended by your team for being a total megadouche. If that’s me, I’m at home sulking, feeling like a poop monster.
Let’s hope the two were at least discussing Carlos’s eventual transition to the South Side.
Carlos Zambrano Would Accept a Trade to the White Sox?
Last week, when rumors of a possible Carlos Zambrano trade bubbled over, Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry came forward with his rebuttal: it wasn’t happening. No, not because the Cubs love Zambrano and would never trade him (I still can’t get over the fact that Hendry did not say this); instead, Hendry’s reason? Zambrano has a no-trade clause.
Fair enough, I suppose, as all indications are that Zambrano would invoke that no-trade clause if the Cubs attempted to trade him just about anywhere. Anywhere except… Chicago?
[Zambrano] would invoke his no-trade clause unless it would be to the White Sox, because he wants to stay in Chicago. Baseball Prospectus.
Um, hello. Carlos Zambrano does have a good relationship with White Sox skipper and fellow crazy guy Ozzie Guillen, and perhaps he loves Chicago so much that it’s the only place he’d ever go. That said, it’s hard to imagine Zambrano being too crazy about going to the American League – I don’t think there’s a pitcher in baseball who enjoys batting as much as he does.
Also, there’s probably not too much to get antsy about here anyway: the same BP report noted that the White Sox would be unlikely to actually try and make a move for Zambrano after acquiring Jake Peavy last year.
h/t CCO.
God’s Wrathwatch: Zambrano Has Successful Rehab Start
Carlos Zambrano threw five innings last night for A ball Peoria, and things went well. Not only in result, but in how he felt.
Pitching against the Clinton LumberKings, Zambrano tossed 5 uneventful innings, giving up 4 hits and no runs. He walked none, struck out five and uncorked 1 wild pitch. Zambrano threw 76 pitches, 54 for strikes.
“It felt good today,” said Zambrano, who has been on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 2. “I like what I see today. It’s different when you pitch against A-ball guys than the big leagues. I think everything is back to normal.” Daily Herald.
Zambrano took batting practice before the game, and was as vigorous as ever: he hit six homers in his BP set.
But he had more to say.
“I want to say something, and I’ll get in trouble with this,” he said. “Sometimes I’m like (Sox manager) Ozzie Guillen. I say some things that people don’t agree with. But every time I go to the DL, I don’t want to go to the DL. Believe me, I hate to be on the DL.
“When I have to go to the DL, sometimes you have to protect your career, and the Cubs are trying to protect my career and do what’s best for me.”
The only part of the quote that could get Zambrano in any trouble is the part where he compared himself in a complimentary way to Ozzie Guillen.
Ballplayers Hate Lou Piniella, Ozzie Guillen
Apparently Lou Piniella isn’t just unpopular in Cubs fans circles these days.
In a survey of 380 Major League players, 26 percent said they did not want to play for Lou Piniella and 21 percent said they did not want to play for Ozzie Guillen. The results will be published in this week’s Sports Illustrated. Muskat Ramblings.
That makes Lou Piniella the most unpopular manager for players in all of baseball, and Ozzie Guillen is second. Both are actually a surprise to me, as I had always believed that the two were well-liked by those who played for them. But maybe you only hear that from players who currently play with them. Maybe Piniella really is a grousy old coot, and Ozzie really is a douche.
The saving grace for the survey: Tony LaRussa finished third.
Ozzie Guillen Hates Wrigley Field
Whatever, Ozzie.
“But one thing about Wrigley Field, I puke every time I go there,” Guillen said Sunday morning. “That’s just to be honest. And if Cub fans don’t like the way I talk about Wrigley Field, it’s just Wrigley Field. I don’t say anything about the fans or anything now. But Wrigley Field, they got to respect my opinion. That’s the way I feel.” Hardball.
You know that’s a proxy for saying he hates Cubs fans. Fine. Just for that. It’s picture time. Inspiration from Ozzie, after the jump
