On September 14, 2008 Carlos Zambrano made Cubs and baseball history by tossing the first Cubs no-hitter since Milt Pappas 36 years prior and the first no-hitter in MLB history at a neutral site. As you know, Z no hit the Astros at Miller Park. Click here to hear Pat Hughes and Ron Santo's call of the final out of the game. Rod Blagojevich named this day Carlos Zambrano day a year ago.
In the year since the no-hitter Zambrano has not been all that successful. He had a rough rest of the 2008 regular season after that game and then was hammered in his one postseason start. He is 8-6 this season with a 3.77 ERA. Very average. His ERA ranks 3rd among Cubs starters with Wells and Lilly ahead of him and Dempster and Harden with higher ERAs that Big Z.
Carlos need to step it up. This club need a true ace. If Zambrano is not the man in 2010, then who is? Bruce Levine said on Saturday that the Cubs could "explore deals for Zambrano and Braldey this winter." Carlos has a full no-trade clause but says he won't stand in the team's way if they ever choose to trade him. Even if the Cubs find a team that will take some of his lofty contract, do we want to let Zambrano go?
Without Zambrano, the Cubs rotation for next year would be very up in the air. Rich Harden is a free agent at the end of this year, and in my opinion he's not worth re-signing. Ryan Dempster has had a year not near up to the bar that he set in 2008. I'm sure sure I can count of Ryan as anything more than a #3 or 4 starter, he had one good year. Randy Wells, who's having a big rookie season, may not have as prosperous of a season in year #2 (see Geovany Soto). So that leaves Ted Lilly, who's a bulldog but not a guy who carries a team.
Thanks to MLB Trade Rumors, here is the list of starting pitchers who will be free agents at the end of the year.
Brandon Backe (32)Miguel Batista (39)Erik Bedard (31)Kris Benson (34)Daniel Cabrera (29)Chris Capuano (31)Bartolo Colon (37)Jose Contreras (38)Doug Davis (34)Justin Duchscherer (32)Adam Eaton (32)Shawn Estes (37)Josh Fogg (33)Freddy Garcia (34) - $1MM club option, $2MM in incentives Jon Garland (30) - $10MM mutual option with $2.5MM or $1MM buyoutTom Glavine (44)Mike Hampton (37)Rich Harden (28)Mark Hendrickson (36)Livan Hernandez (35)Tim Hudson (34) - $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout Jason Jennings (31)Jason Johnson (36)Randy Johnson (46)John Lackey (31)Cliff Lee (31) - $8MM club option with a $1MM buyout Braden Looper (35) - $6.5MM mutual option with possible buyout Rodrigo Lopez (34)Jason Marquis (31)Kevin Millwood (35) - Rangers can decline $12MM salary for '10 unless he reaches 180 innings in '09Brian Moehler (38) - mutual option Brett Myers (29)Vicente Padilla (32)Chan Ho Park (37)John Parrish (32)Carl Pavano (34)Brad Penny (32)Odalis Perez (33)Andy Pettitte (38)Joel Pineiro (31)Sidney Ponson (33)Mark Prior (28)Horacio Ramirez (30)Jason Schmidt (37)John Smoltz (43)Tim Wakefield (43) - perpetual $4MM club option Jarrod Washburn (35)Brandon Webb (31) - $8.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout Todd Wellemeyer (31)Kip Wells (33)Randy Wolf (33)
Who would you like to see in a Cub uniform? Joel Pineiro? Brad Penny? Odalis Perez? Todd Wellemeyer? Jason Marquis anyone?
CLIFF LEE, but i think there is an option with him.
ReplyDeleteI'd liek to keep Z, Wells, Lilly, and Demp. But before talking to Harden i'd talk to lilly about an extenstion. I would then try to sign Joel Pineiro, but other then that I'd just sign players to minor league deals to try and fight off Grozo and possibly marshall.
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