Headlines

  • Keston Hiura Will Not Make Brewers’ Roster
  • Cardinals, Miles Mikolas Agree To Two-Year Extension
  • Rhys Hoskins Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Undergo Surgery
  • Jed Lowrie Announces Retirement
  • Jose Altuve To Miss About Two Months Due To Thumb Surgery
  • Rockies Sign Jurickson Profar
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Carlos Zambrano Extension Reactions

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 29, 2010 at 8:37pm CDT

Back in August of 2007 when the Cubs signed Carlos Zambrano to a five-year $91.5MM extension, GM Jim Hendry told the AP that Zambrano was not the sort of pitcher the Cubs could have found elsewhere. 

"My strong belief is that we couldn't have replaced Carlos," Hendry said.

Zambrano, then 26, had already pitched four full seasons in the Cubs' rotation and had a career ERA of 3.66 with nearly one strikeout per inning pitched. He was in the midst of another strong season and had an outside shot at 20 wins with free agency just months away.

The deal came less than a year after the Cubs committed $136MM to Alfonso Soriano. And it came less than a year after the Giants signed Barry Zito for $126MM. Zambrano, three years younger than Zito and better at striking hitters out, threatened to leave the Cubs if he didn't get an extension, and other clubs had interest in the right-hander. Here's how some writers initially reacted to the deal that gave Zambrano the fifth-highest salary in the game, behind only Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Derek Jeter:

  • Tim Dierkes, MLBTR: "I've been back and forth on my opinion of a huge Zambrano extension … Part of me says that the Cubs got a slight discount, Zambrano's been an injury-free horse, and he'll still be pretty young throughout the deal. The other side of me says that his best years are behind him, he's got a ton of mileage on his arm, and almost no free agent pitcher deal of this magnitude could possibly work out. I think you could make a legitimate case for either side – sorry for the cop out."   
  • Rob Neyer, ESPN.com: "Does Zambrano deserve $18 million per season? Well, if you think Barry Zito deserves his $18 million per season, then Zambrano is definitely worth that much. OK, bad example. Zambrano's one of the five best pitchers in the National League, so he was going to get this money or more, somewhere. Still, I wonder if the Cubs might have been better off spending their $91.5 million who's been tested in the real major league."
  • Bruce Miles, the Daily Herald: "In this day and age of cynicism, especially when it comes to the mega-money world of professional sports, it's difficult to take anything anybody says at face value. Once in awhile, though, people say things and then follow through on them. All along, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, his agents and Cubs general manager Jim Hendry stated it was their goal to agree on a multiyear contract extension for Zambrano … It got done Friday, and it all got done without public sniping … Maybe this time, everybody will live happily ever after." 
  • Dave van Dyck, Chicago Tribune: "[The contract is an example of] putting your money where your mouth is."
Share 0 Retweet 5 Send via email0

Uncategorized Carlos Zambrano

Edwin Rodriguez To Manage Marlins For 2010
Main
Red Sox Hesitate To Trade Prospects For Relievers
View Comments (9)

Comments

  1. studio179

    13 years ago

    Zambrano was clearly out of line. The Cubs should have done this years ago with Carlos. But if he was pitching like he is being paid and what the Cubs thought they were getting, no doubt they would tolerate him a bit more. It’s not like Carlos all of a sudden became this way. He has always been the same and here are many incidents that the team let slide. It’s just the long overdue realization by management that he is no longer what they thought they were getting. The Cubs let jerks be jerks until you can’t back up being a jerk with performance…just like Sammy and Milton.

    Reply
    • studio179

      13 years ago

      Not defending Z, he is nuts. Just pointing out the business side of it.

      Reply
    • Steve Reczek

      13 years ago

      Does this whole thing happen though if Z is pitching fine though?

      Reply
      • studio179

        13 years ago

        I suspect if Z was the pitcher the Cubs thought he was when they extended his contract, this matter would be handled with a more protective approach from the Cubs. If Bradley hit well last year, the Cubs would have swept a lot of his stuff under the rug. Just as they did for years while Sosa was launching home runs. When the performance dwindles and it is obvious it will not return to the same level, the spin changes and the monster must be stopped. As we know, it happens all to much in sports and the way management handles a player. It’s not just the Cubs. All I’m saying is Zambrano does need help with anger. He is out of control. The Cubs knew it for years and did nothing.

        Reply
  2. Lets_Go_Red_Sox

    13 years ago

    did anyone see this contract ending any other way?? gave all that money to a head case with a ton of innings on his arm, not shocked at all he had a melt down and his velocity and breaking pitches are average now .that contract was terrible ( for the cubs ) the second he signed it

    Reply
  3. The Big Clayboski

    13 years ago

    His 2007 really wasn’t going THAT well…

    Reply
  4. Smileybush

    13 years ago

    On top of Tommy Boy Hendry covering up a lot of Big Z’s craziness prior to the big deal, he also knew that the 25 year old required an annual cortisone shot for his aching back. Just the kind of guy you want to lock up for a long term deal, eh?

    Reply
  5. aaron b

    13 years ago

    What made it worse is that the Cubs could have extended Zambrano while he was under arbitration control for about half that figure. 4/42 was bandied about before the 2006 season.

    Reply
  6. jphenix2002

    13 years ago

    That last Bruce Miles comment is the best comedy I’ve gotten all week.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Keston Hiura Will Not Make Brewers’ Roster

    Cardinals, Miles Mikolas Agree To Two-Year Extension

    Rhys Hoskins Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Undergo Surgery

    Jed Lowrie Announces Retirement

    Jose Altuve To Miss About Two Months Due To Thumb Surgery

    Rockies Sign Jurickson Profar

    Braves Option Vaughn Grissom, Braden Shewmake

    Jose Altuve Leaves WBC Game After Hit By Pitch

    Edwin Diaz Undergoes Surgery To Repair Patellar Tendon

    Out Of Options 2023

    Cade Cavalli To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Edwin Diaz Helped Off Field With Right Knee Injury

    José Quintana Out Until At Least July Due To Rib Surgery

    Trevor Bauer Signs With NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars

    Craig Stammen “Highly Unlikely” To Pitch Again Following Shoulder Injury

    Diamondbacks, Corbin Carroll Agree To Eight-Year Deal

    Nationals Sign Keibert Ruiz To Eight-Year Extension

    Rockies Showing Interest In Jurickson Profar

    Andrew Painter Diagnosed With UCL Sprain; Ranger Suarez Dealing With Forearm Tightness

    Marlins, Jose Iglesias Agree To Minor League Contract

    Recent

    Pirates Have Continued Interest In Extending Bryan Reynolds

    Angels Option Andrew Velazquez, Jo Adell, Mickey Moniak

    Dodgers Option Michael Grove, Name Ryan Pepiot Fifth Starter

    Dombrowski: Darick Hall Favorite For Majority Of First Base Reps

    Keston Hiura Will Not Make Brewers’ Roster

    Guardians, Daniel Norris Agree To Minor League Deal

    Royals’ Daniel Lynch Likely To Start Season On Injured List With Shoulder Strain

    Esteury Ruiz Will Make Athletics’ Opening Day Roster

    Reds Release Chad Pinder

    Rangers Release Reyes Moronta, Joe McCarthy; Clint Frazier, Yoshi Tsutsugo Will Not Make Club

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version