Zambrano’s value slipping…
With a 5.83 ERA and a 3-3 record, Carlos Zambrano is going to have to do some persuading.
The Cubs were prepared to offer him up to $90 million to remain a Cub (and why not? The team is about to be sold anyway), but Zambrano has looked absolutely awful in the early going.
Consider this: Zambrano gave up three runs in the first inning Thursday, which is the third time in his last five starts that Zambrano has allowed 3+ runs in the first inning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In the previous three seasons combined, Zambrano only let that happen twice.
He has given up a home run in all of his starts except one — against the Reds on 4/13 — and that may have actually been his worst start, given up six runs in inning innings.
A quick glance at Zambrano’s advanced pitching statistics don’t indicate anything good, either. Strangely, they not only indicate that he has gotten lucky to a certain extent, but even his normalized ERA is inflated.
So what does this mean for Zambrano? Well, he’s still going to get paid — a lot. In fact, it may not affect his contract at all. If we use Barry Zito, Jason Marquis and Ted Lilly as trend-setters, we can safely say Zambrano’s contract will still be hefty.
It’s interesting to wonder, though, how many more brutal outings it will take for the Cubs to fall out of love with Zambrano. And how much longer will each side wait to sign? The scales are tipping. Zambrano should start thinking about signing now. Again, though, with the Cubs about to be sold, the money is really not an issue.
Just, out.
May 11th, 2007 at 2:36 am
danks>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Z. if were goin by dave just logic. i didnt even bother to read this entry. just some more man love like u give ur boy jake peavy/christopher B young.
May 11th, 2007 at 10:01 am
You can thank Dusty Baker for overworking Zambrano along with every other starter he had…Baker is the reason for Wood and Prior and the reason why Zambrano has averaged almost 110 pitches per start over the last 3 years. His arm is fatigued and he can just rear back and muscle in fastballs past people anymore…Baker is a bum.
May 11th, 2007 at 11:21 am
wow, u can not blame all the woes the cubs have on dusty baker. u can simply blame it on bad pitching form. and ur bum of a pitchin coach larry rothchild. funny i read an article in the trib today, actually it was an interview where dusty says last year he was told “play the young guys, don’t overwork howry and eyre, and don’t stress out bout wins and losses.” WOW if he was told that cub fans better ask for the trib to sell their asses and throw that bum GM hendry out the door. but its obvious the cubs organization does not stress out bout losing. and Big Z is a egocentric moron who talks in the third person and how it counts when he pitches in the playoffs… well someone better let big z know this isnt little league and not every team makes the playoffs, they have to play well durin the season to.
May 11th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I’m not a Cubs fan…but as a Yankees fan I’ve been saying for a while that I hope the cubs screw up the deal with Z so the Yankees can sign him…but now I’m not so sure. The AL is a lot harder than the NL and too many NL pitchers have gone to the Yankees and sucked (Carl Pavano)…the Cubs have a good lineup but their bullpen, defense and crazy Lou Pinella will keep them out of the playoffs…even if they are in the worst division in baseball.