Zambrano moving to the bullpen [Latest: Meltdown 6/25, suspended indefinitely by Cubs]

[Flood Pants]

I know this is a little off topic, but since i went to Cot's, i looked at my favorite part of the site... the Future Payroll Obligations. The cubs are going to have an interesting offseason coming up.

 

http://spreadsheets.googl...aSrv4wMWdUYg&output=html

Wow... must be nice to be Alfonso Soriano.

[craigharmann]

Seriously, is this upside down day? Joe Morgan working for the Reds, Cra-Z moved to the bullpen? At least the Brewers won, so all is still right in the world.

[berniebrewer4life]

wow. would they dare trade him in the division? I'd despise Zambrano much less in a Brewers uniform. There's little evidence, other than a poor few games, to suggest that he'll be anything less than a top of the rotation starter this year.

They pay most of his salary, i'd take him in a heartbeat. He would make a great #2/3 for us. He'll rebound easy.

 

EDIT: Looking at thier payroll for next year, you have to imagine if they resign Lee(all signs point to yes), he's gonna get around 15-16 million a year, Lilly is gonna want atleast 15/year, and Marmol should get a huge raise in arby, as will Soto. They are gonna be really, really, really tight on payroll over the next few years.

[Funketown]

wow. would they dare trade him in the division? I'd despise Zambrano much less in a Brewers uniform. There's little evidence, other than a poor few games, to suggest that he'll be anything less than a top of the rotation starter this year.

They pay most of his salary, i'd take him in a heartbeat. He would make a great #2/3 for us. He'll rebound easy.

 

EDIT: Looking at thier payroll for next year, you have to imagine if they resign Lee(all signs point to yes), he's gonna get around 15-16 million a year, Lilly is gonna want atleast 15/year, and Marmol should get a huge raise in arby, as will Soto. They are gonna be really, really, really tight on payroll over the next few years.

$15 mil/year sounds like a lot for either a 35 year old 1st baseman or a #3 starter. I'd peg Lee for something like 3/$24-27 and Lilly for something similar.

[pretendastronaut]

Are they signing someone? Looper?

 

Link

 

Edit: Ah, I missed the Lilly part. Hope Ted is rusty on Saturday.

 

 

 

Oddly enough...

 

The Chicago Cubs had a scout and minor league pitching coordinator watch free-agent pitcher Braden Looper throw a side session on Monday in south suburban Chicago, according to a team source.

 

Link

[derflotr]

Considering how much the Cubs bullpen blows, plus the fact that Zambrano is typically tough on righties, I'm a lot less negative about this as I'm sure most people are. Probably premature, but not completely senseless.

[Scooter1027]

I know this is a little off topic, but since i went to Cot's, i looked at my favorite part of the site... the Future Payroll Obligations. The cubs are going to have an interesting offseason coming up.

 

http://spreadsheets.googl...aSrv4wMWdUYg&output=html

Wow... must be nice to be Alfonso Soriano.

I was thinking the same thing...he's due $19 million a year through 2014. He's already fading significantly and can't play defense.

 

In fact, look at the first 4 names on the list...$68,250,000 for:

 

1. A badly fading, increasingly unpopular LF'er with some of the worst defense in baseball

2. A set-up man with a 7.45 ERA

3. A 3B hitting .131

4. A RF'er OPSing .726

 

Obviously it's super early and I would think at least Ramirez and Zambrano will turn it around...but that's the production they've gotten so far out of 4 guys who make more than the entire payroll 9 teams. Yikes.

 

[GAME05]

he always fades bad in September from throwing so many innings. assuming he eventually goes back to the rotation, maybe he'll have a better month this year.

 

despite his really bad outings this year, this sure seems like too dramatic of a move this early in the season.

[berniebrewer4life]

$15 mil/year sounds like a lot for either a 35 year old 1st baseman or a #3 starter. I'd peg Lee for something like 3/$24-27 and Lilly for something similar.

I agree, but Ted Lilly put up really, really good numbers last year(3.10 era, 1.057 WHIP), and lee had 35 HRs, 101 RBI and an OPS of 972. Those are Numbers that deserve 15 mil a year, and at the very least, staying at the 13 mil a year. Unless they both have off years, there is no way they take a 30% cut in pay.

[rluzinski]

I don't care how bad your relief pitching. You get the most innings you can from your best pitchers. It's kind of like taking a good hitter out of the starting lineup because your pinch hitters suck.

[Fatter than Joey]

Are they insane!?

 

They may be.

 

I don't even think that Z has pitched that poorly. He got jacked up pretty good in his first start, but after that -- 18IP 8ER (4.00 ERA), 25K, 8BB -- That's good enough to be in any rotation in MLB. Zambrano isn't worth his salary perhaps, but I'd take him in Milw. in a second.

 

This will not help the Cubs score runs... actually Z is a pretty good hitter.

 

It seems to me there has to be more to it than "our bullpen needs help", or maybe the Cubs are insane.

[jimmyjeromehardy7]

I can see Pinella using him 6 of 7 days until his arm falls off sometime in July. This has a train wreck written all over it.

[logan82]

People thought I was crazy when I said Yost may have been the best manager in the division. I still believe that says more about just how bad managers are in general than Yost being good. At least he never sent Sheets to the bullpen.

[Ennder]

People thought I was crazy when I said Yost may have been the best manager in the division. I still believe that says more about just how bad managers are in general than Yost being good. At least he never sent Sheets to the bullpen.

I'd easily trade Yost or Macha for LaRussa, wouldn't even have to think twice about it.

[logan82]

You mean the guy who over manages? LaRussa isn't good either.

[thebruce44]

You mean the guy who over manages? LaRussa isn't good either.

He consistently gets the most production out of the talent he has available to him. Thats the mark of a good coach.

[logan82]

So you say. I believe he has just had the good fortune of managing good teams.

[RobertR]

I'd be surprised if Lilly gets any less than Randy Wolf.

 

Frankly, I don't think it matters though. They're locked into an aging core, and most of their large contracts are unmovable. Arguably, they should bite the bullet on Lee given his age, put one of Ramirez/Vitters at 1B, and spread that money around. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to move Theriot as well.

 

There are some tough decisions coming up for the Cubs.

 

Robert

[burnzy24]

Zambrano was pulled after one inning today after he gave up four runs and then proceeded to nearly get into a fight with Derrick Lee in the dugout. No video of the altercation available yet. Maybe this is the spark they need to get going!

[trwi7]

[monty57]

I guess you can get away with being a jerk as long as you dominate. Not so much when you're pretty average. Just ask Barry Bonds.

[Invader3K]

I love it.

[Funketown]

Nothing makes a rough Brewers season better than the comedy that often takes place in Chicago. Talk about a fall from grace for Zambrano. Two more years at $18MM per year and we get to enjoy every moment of it.

 

I thought the Cubs were going to be bad this year, but I didn't think they'd be this bad. Aramis Ramirez is hitting .166/.234/.282/.516 this season. It looks like he has completely lost it, and unless he's crazy, he'll be picking up his $14.6MM player option for next season. Soriano is hitting the ball well this year but is still a complete albatross in the outfield. Vitters has struggled in AA this year.

 

I love it.

[Invader3K]

I was definitely saying before the season that I thought the Cubs were overrated and would be this bad. I just did not think the meltdown would be this good.

[craigharmann]

What makes that clip beautiful is it starts with showing Gorzelanny warming up in the pen, then cuts to Z going Z, then strike one to the next batter, then back to Z, then strike two. Back to Z, then fouled off, then back to Z and Lee, then an awful swing for strike three. It's beautiful!!! So it was either that Lee didn't lead Z to the bag, Lee said something about Z's mom, or Z is crazy......My vote is #3.