Cubs and Big Z Avoid Arbitration, Agree to 1/$12.4 M

[JonnyRed]

The Score is reporting they settled for $12.5M

 

That's great news! Now, let's get the 5 year, $90M deal done...

[Andy]

The Score is reporting they settled for $12.5M

YES! :D

[RichHillIsABeast]

The Score is reporting they settled for $12.5M

 

Excellent. I'd rather not see Z break his agent over his knee for costing him over $1MM.

[PrimeTime]

Yess!! They just said it again that sources are saying they agreed right around 12.5

[C.C.]

No surprise...

[PrimeTime]

on suntimes.com

 

Pitcher Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs avoided arbitration today, reaching agreement at the last minute on a one-year deal, the team confirmed.

[Twiggy]

great news :)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Nice!

[goonys evil twin]

Yay.

 

Now rip up the contract and give him a 5-year deal.

[E.J.]

great work jimbo. now get him signed to a multi-year contract.

[YearofDaCubs]

Good to see that resolved. I think it's fair and not ridiculous as 14-15mil would be.

[Butterscup1679666578]

=D> Great job Jimbo!

[nilodnayr]

I want to stress again that the Zito comparison was metaphorical. I used Zito because he was the #1 FA pitcher on the market this winter, and my point was that if your ace is demanding the price tag of the #1 FA pitcher, you don't lose that much by letting him walk because you can go out and spend roughly the same amount and sign the #1 FA pitcher on the market the next year. Yes, sometimes there are really lean FA years but there are also really full FA years too so I think it evens out. I'm also not suggesting that you should in fact let him walk, just saying that knowing that you can gives you the position of strength.

 

That makes no sense. You can't "just go out and sign the #1 FA pitcher on the market next year".

 

You are devaluing top notch pitchers by referring them as commodities.

 

Of course you can. Why wouldn't you be able to? And it is not at all devaluing something by calling it a commodity. A Ferrari is a commodity, and it's pretty valuable. It just means that it is replaceable, and $17 million pitchers are.

 

If your ace IS the #1 FA pitcher on the market, and you let him walk, then by definition aren't you unable to replace him with the #1 FA pitcher on the market? I know its semantics, but in practice, its very much the case in next years FA market. After taking a gander through Cotts, would you like to know who the other FA pitchers will be coming out of arbi with Z?

 

Jason Jennings

Doug Davis

Kyle Lohse

Josh Fogg

Rodrigo Lopez

Victor Zambrano

Shawn Chacon

Casey Fossum

Jake Westbrook

Carlos Silva (option)

 

Of those already past arbi the notables are:

Bartolo Colon

Tomo Ohka

John Smoltz

Livan Hernandez (option)

Randy Wolf (option)

Brett Tomko (option)

Paul Byrd (option)

Tom Glavine (option/going to retiree)

Kris Bensen (option)

Jaret Wright

Steve Trachsel (option)

Gregg Maddux (option)

David Wells

Jon Lieber

Tony Armas Jr. (option)

Eric Milton

Curt Schilling

Matt Clement

Joel Pineiro (option)

Tim Wakefield (option)

Julian Tavarez (option)

BK Kim

Odalis Perez (option)

Scott Elarton

Kenny Rodgers

Ramon Ortiz

Javier Vazquez

Mark Buehrle (STL bound)

Andy Pettitte (option)

 

Its a list of very old and/or very bad pitchers. Theres absolutely no one (who would sign with another team) anywhere near Z's level of production, let alone his age. The best options are probably of the Milton, Clement, Lieber, Vazquez, Ohka, Jennings, Westbrook ilk. Do you consider them aces of a playoff hopefully team?

 

I really think you aren't understanding the full term of a commodity. A commodity is easily replaceable, a Ferrari is not.

[98navigator]

FYI, $12.5M may not be the figure. It is in the neighborhood. I also heard $12.4M. BTW, I think this is a big victory for Hendry because he didn't compromise his belief that Zambrano's agent filed too high a number. Hendry didn't even have to meet them halfway. Anyway, I exect a 5 year extension before opening day.

[soccer10k]

Definitely some good news.

 

EDIT: And thanks to Z for not taking a hard nosed approach and refusing to negotiate.

Edited February 20, 2007 by soccer10k

[Omar]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully he can extend it...

Edited February 20, 2007 by Omar

[soccer10k]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully they can extend it...

 

ARam to avoid free agency as well.

[CubColtPacer]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully they can extend it...

 

Not to mention the latest Ramirez deal-my guess is that Z's multi-year deal will be the same way.

[Omar]

Was the Ramirez signing really last minute?

[Butterscup1679666578]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully he can extend it...

 

I'm convinced that Hendry reads NSBB and just likes to see us all freak out and see what kind of irrational statements we can throw out there. He definitely gets it done when it needs to be done.

[PrimeTime]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully he can extend it...

 

 

The Lawton trade was my fave..That was the blockbuster that made the season right there :lol:

[E.J.]

Was the Ramirez signing really last minute?

 

Well, sort of. It was pretty much right to the deadline before he would have been allowed to negotiate with other teams. It might not have turned out as well for the Cubs if that were the case.

[CubColtPacer]

Was the Ramirez signing really last minute?

 

Well, it was reported that the West Coast teams were on the verge of offering him 100 million, so I'd say that it was last minute.

[goonys evil twin]

I don't really question Hendry's ability to get who he wants. I just question his wants.

[daske17]

Jim Hendry & the Last minute:

Nomar Trade

Ramirez signing on opening day 2005

Matt Lawton trade at the trade deadline 2005

D-Lee signing on opening day 2006

Z signing to avoid Arby...

 

Hey, he gets it done. Hopefully he can extend it...

 

And you wonder why the guy was on the verge of having a grabber! He needs to plan better so he isn't stressing himself out so much!