Zambrano clarifies and gets offered 5 year deal

[BigbadB]

Admittedly, I've been one of the skeptics, mainly because I don't understand why he hasn't already been signed to a long term deal.

 

This is great news if it happens.

[CuseCubFan69]

5 years with some mutual options would be grand.

 

(and I'd put money on there being a full NTC)

 

I'll bet there will be a couple of them to match Zito's deal. If the Cubs do make this signing Mr. Hendry will have a lot of loose ends tied up by March. I'm also wondering if this deal happens if will do something with Jones?

 

What would this type of deal put the Cubs 2007 payroll at?

 

I don't think it will do anything this year. Zambrano would still be payed out per his current contract. The extension kicks in next year. Right?

 

He's not signed for this year yet I thought and that's why they were going to arby?

[sethuel1]

I'll clarify for a three year deal.

[BigbadB]

I don't think it will do anything this year. Zambrano would still be payed out per his current contract. The extension kicks in next year. Right?

 

Not necessarily. But, that's probably what will end up happening in this case. I'm just not sure how much they really want to backload another contract. I wonder if a signing bonus could help smooth things a bit?

[MPrior]

Zambrano might even prefer a five year deal to a longer one - in five years, he'll still be young enough to get another monster deal.

 

Wishful thinking, I know. Just sign it, Z!

 

Side note:

 

The injury concern is there for me, as it is for so many others, but I don't feel as though Z is a huge risk to become a perennially injured pitcher a la Prior/Wood - he's actually through what's come to be known as the "injury nexus," or the age range when pitchers are most likely to fall apart due to overwork or abuse. So I'm not as hesitant to sign him to a long-term deal, as I feel that he'll be healthy for much of it, even if he does get injured.

 

More wishful thinking, I know.

[CuseCubFan69]

I think this quote clears it up.

 

‘‘This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play baseball since I was 16 years old. I want to stay here. ... I want to sign with the Cubs. But I just don’t want to talk about contracts during the season.’’

 

Hey come one now, we are suppose to make Carlos sound like an evil money grubbing a-hole right now, there's no place for that talk :D.

 

<3 Carlos

 

Honestly do you think he'd say "I want my cash and the Cubs will pay or I'm gone" at the convention? Z knows this is business and that this is probably going to be the biggest deal of his career so he has to make the most of it and if that sounds like he's a money grubbing dude to some well you just can't please everybody. I don't blame him for trying to get as much as he can as I would do the same if I were in his position.

[BRASKYS SCOTCH]

I don't think it will do anything this year. Zambrano would still be payed out per his current contract. The extension kicks in next year. Right?

 

Not necessarily. But, that's probably what will end up happening in this case. I'm just not sure how much they really want to backload another contract. I wonder if a signing bonus could help smooth things a bit?

 

Nice signing bonus would be a delicate touch that could get the deal done. Forgot how arbitration would affect this. My mind is slipping. I blame the lack of photos of Cubs at '07 spring training.

[A New Era]

I think this quote clears it up.

 

‘‘This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play baseball since I was 16 years old. I want to stay here. ... I want to sign with the Cubs. But I just don’t want to talk about contracts during the season.’’

 

Hey come one now, we are suppose to make Carlos sound like an evil money grubbing a-hole right now, there's no place for that talk :D.

 

<3 Carlos

 

Well in all fairness. Saying he wants to stay with the cubs and he just doesn't want to talk about it during season (and it sounding more like he wants Zito MONEY, not so much Zito YEARS) is a whole heck of a lot different than the information we had, and way he said things before. .

[Twiggy]

sign and deliver it big z

[Guest]

sign and deliver it big z

 

Come on Cubs don't let Z go. You need to get your cleanup hitter back in the fold.

[RichHillIsABeast]

Muskat says the offers wasn't made, but parameters were exchanged.

 

Z seems to think 5 years is the right length.

[A New Era]

Awesome. 5 years. That makes me feel a whole much better.

[Mephistopheles]

It's still not a good deal at 5 years. Unfortunately if the Cubs didnt give him the money would they spend it elsewhere? probably not. so you gotta do the deal.

[frostwyrm]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

[CubColtPacer]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

Z said he would accept a 5 year deal-so 5/90 would be the equivalent of Zito's offer. I'm sure it will go up to somewhere like 5/94 or 5/95 before it's all said and done, but I wouldn't call it insulting.

[soccer10k]

I think this quote clears it up.

 

‘‘This is the team that gave Carlos Zambrano his opportunity to play baseball since he was 16 years old. Big Z wants to stay here. ... Carlos wants to sign with the Cubs. But Carlos just doesn’t want to talk about contracts during the season.’’

 

Fixed.

[RichHillIsABeast]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

Hey, I'd throw in option years based on IP the previous seasons.

 

I'd be happy with 4 to 5 years and several option years based on durability.

 

If Z is healthy, he'll be worth the contract, IMO.

[RynoRules]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

Its not insulting.

 

I don't understand this. IIRC, you are one of the guys here (a list that includes myself, BTW) who generally gets on Jim for spending his money foolishly. Z has several miles on his arm at a young age, and his mechanics ain't exactly what you would call Seaver-esque. Giving him - or any present day pitcher - a 7 yr deal is crazy, IMO. I like that Jim (apparently) recognizes this and is at least attempting to structure the contract in a way that makes sense.

 

And please do not compare the Z offer to Soriano's deal. Soriano was on the open mkt.

[frostwyrm]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

Its not insulting.

 

I don't understand this. IIRC, you are one of the guys here (a list that includes myself, BTW) who generally gets on Jim for spending his money foolishly. Z has several miles on his arm at a young age, and his mechanics ain't exactly what you would call Seaver-esque. Giving him - or any present day pitcher - a 7 yr deal is crazy, IMO. I like that Jim (apparently) recognizes this and is at least attempting to structure the contract in a way that makes sense.

 

And please do not compare the Z offer to Soriano's deal. Soriano was on the open mkt.

 

I wouldn't give Z 5/90 and certainly not 7/126, but given the current market 5/90 is a very low offer. Even 7/126 is most likely below Z's market value.

[RichHillIsABeast]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

Its not insulting.

 

I don't understand this. IIRC, you are one of the guys here (a list that includes myself, BTW) who generally gets on Jim for spending his money foolishly. Z has several miles on his arm at a young age, and his mechanics ain't exactly what you would call Seaver-esque. Giving him - or any present day pitcher - a 7 yr deal is crazy, IMO. I like that Jim (apparently) recognizes this and is at least attempting to structure the contract in a way that makes sense.

 

And please do not compare the Z offer to Soriano's deal. Soriano was on the open mkt.

 

I wouldn't give Z 5/90 and certainly not 7/126, but given the current market 5/90 is a very low offer. Even 7/126 is most likely below Z's market value.

 

Sounds like he's going to give us a hometown discount afterall. 8-)

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Oswalt got 5/72 with a club option for a sixth year at 16 million. The Cubs should have offered that in September before the market exploded.

 

That being said, Zambrano and Oswalt are comparable to each other. Offering five years is in line with what Oswalt goes. Giving Zambrano 90 million is over 3 million more per year than Oswalt. I'd offer Zambrano the 5/90 with two club options at 17 million for the sixth year and 19 million for the seventh. The club options each would carry a two million buy-out. If the Cubs opt out after five, Zambrano essientially recieved a 5/92 deal (18.4 per year). If they pick up the first option but decline the second, the deal ends up 6/109 (18.1 per year). If the Cubs end up exercising both options, the deal becomes 7/128 which is larger than Zito.

 

The Cubs could offer a full-no trade in the first four years, and then stipulate if he's traded after the first four years the option years become player options rather than team options.

 

Zambrano and his agent could publicize the deal as a 7/128 deal which would allow him to say he got as much as Zito.

[BigbadB]

He'd be at 10 years at that point, so he'd already have a no trade provision.

[cbbryan]

5/90 is a lowball offer and rather insulting. Zito got 7/126 and everybody knows Z could get that or more on the open market. There's no reason for Z to accept 5/90 unless he's extremely scared of getting hurt this year.

 

If that's an insult, I'll sign-up for being insulted daily!!!

[JC]

5 years at $90M?

 

If Carlos is looking for @$15M in arbitration this year, it seems to me that that number should be a launching point. If so, the math would seem to call for a rather sizeable backloaded year or two. But, then again, I have never seen eye to eye with Hendry's resource allocation.

[Amazing_Grace]

Given the directive to win this year and the extreme unlikelihood of the Cubs being far enough behind in the playoff hunt to really consider trading him, there really is no choice but to suck it up and resign Zambrano long-term. If you start with a damn the torpedos mentality, you better be willing to stick with it to the end.