The Cubs are moving Zambrano to the bullpen. A little bit of a shocker but I raised this possibility a few days ago.
http://acubbyconsilience.blogspot.com/2010/04/as-lilly-blooms-zambrano-move-looms.html
What does it mean? Call it a trial run for a Zambrano-less rotation. The Cubs will see if Lilly can stay healthy and if Silva is for real. If this works in the short term, I predict the Cubs will look for someone to take Zambrano and his huge contract off their hands, preferably for a veteran reliever. I broached the possibility of a deal with the Mets involving Francisco Rodriguez in a swap of bad contracts.
The Cubs have to be thinking about opening roster spots for Andrew Cashner and Jay Jackson as well. Jackson is doing well at AAA. He's at a 2.00 ERA with only 9 hits and 3 walks in 18 innings. And Cashner has been dominant in AA with 25 strikeouts and 4 walks in 17 innings. Double A hitters have only managed to hit for a .119 average in 3 starts. It won't be long before both pitchers are in Chicago and moving Zambrano makes the Cubs rotation a lot more flexible.
If all goes well for the rotation in the next month or two, look for the next news about Zambrano to revolve around trade rumors. He surely can't be happy pitching out of the bullpen. Something tells me the no-trade clause will become much less of an obstacle now.
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With this little tidbit of news, it's only inevitable that Zambrano will be traded. I don't think he will stay in the bullpen, but it is a sign he is a goner. The worst thing to do for his trade value is to put him the bullpen, it will on decrease his trade value. I had a feeling that the Cubs season seemed a loss cause, now I know it.Yes I know I'm a White Sox fan, but you can see this season as being a painful one. I'm not bragging either, the Sox are going nowhere this year with their anemic offense. If this continues, look for Carlos to be gone in June. Look at the bright side Cub fans, you will have a new GM and manager next year. If they hire a outsider as GM, don't expect Sandberg to be the next Manager, that will only happen if the Cubs keep Hendry ( unlikely) or promote someone like Asst GM Randy Bush. That is also unlikely, if Hendry isone gone look for the Rickett family to hire some like Sandy Alderson to be President/CEO , dumping glorified bean counter Craig Kenney out. It was rumored that before the Rickett family bought the team that they were looking at Sandy Alderson to be their baseball Czar, but backed off when they realized it was too late in the year to make any real changes. If he becomes the CEO/President he will bring in some young "Moneyball" type to be the next GM, who will hire their own guy to be manager.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know about the Alderson rumor. Sounds kind of interesting. Hendry needs someone to help him with the financial part of the game. I wouldn't mind looking into that a little more as long as the Cubs play moneyball like the Red Sox and not the Oakland A's!
ReplyDeleteI also don't the season is a lost cause. It's still early. The starting pitching has been good. The offense shows signs of being decent. It's just that stinking bullpen. They're trying to blow the game again today.
ReplyDeleteYou could be right, the season is still early, but I get a feeling that the Cubs are headed towards a long season. That does not mean the Cubs will be bad, just not as good as some people thought. The bullpen looks terrible and I really don't see any silver lining coming up. As for the Sandy Alderson, that was a rumor I heard in the Fall of last year. If the Cubs do disappoint , you will see a complete housecleaning and don't forget that name ( Sandy Alderson), who Tom Rickett admires. The Ricketts family are supposedly fans of the way the Boston Redsox run things and like Theo Epstein and his underlings. I would not be surprised if one of his assistants becomes the next Cubs GM. Remember this name Hans, Ben Cherrington the Asst GM for the Red Sox.He is in the mold of Theo Epstein who Sandy Alderson admires.
ReplyDeleteI heard the Alderson rumor last year as well. It was just too late in the offseason by the time Ricketts closed the deal to make any major changes. I would love to see Cherrington or one of Theo's other lieutenants become the Cubs GM. Hendry's time has passed.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to see the Cubs catch up with the rest of the league, wouldn't it?
ReplyDelete