Kaplan: Royals interested in Z

[Hollandsworths mug]

http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/cubs-talk/post/Kaplan-Royals-interested-in-Zambrano?blockID=590086&feedID=661

 

Yesterday, our friend Mark Carman at 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City spoke with Royals GM Dayton Moore who indicated that he would consider taking on Zambrano if the deal made sense for his club. "We would have to be interested. We would have to explore it because that's what you should do. You should explore every opportunity. Carlos Zambrano is a heckuva competitor," said Moore. "Carlos Zambrano has had a lot of success in the major leagues. Carlos Zambrano is actually a very pleasant, easy going, classy person off the field. Sometimes, as with all of us the competitiveness takes over and brings out qualities in us that we are not proud of. Obviously the Cubs grew tired of some of his outbursts but I believe in our coaching staff and we'll always take a chance and a risk on certain players. We'll see how that particular situation unfolds," he said.

 

 

"To answer your question, yes, we have the ability to eat any contract we feel is necessary to improve the club," Hoyer said last week on Chicago Tribune Live. Epstein also confirmed that position when he was in our Chicago Tribune Live studios adding "but before you do that you have to determine what value that player has to the ball club. If you then determine that you need to move that player then yes we have the ability to swallow whatever contract we need to."

[shnsajax]

I like this a lot.

[JWCUB]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

[biittner77]

What would KC being willing to give up though? I don't doubt they'd take Zambrano for free with the Cubs paying his salary but that doesn't make sense for the Cubs.

[BeerHere]

If I were GM I would pay his entire salary if we could get Montgomery or Hosmer.

[Hollandsworths mug]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Hollandsworth's mug

[Little Slide Rooter]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

The Royals probably have the best system in baseball. I believe that they have 3-4 of the top 10 prospects depending on which list you refer to. I highly, highly doubt that we'd be getting any of those guys, but their system is deep, as would be expected from a team that has been so awful for so many years.

[Clem Fandango]

I don't see Zambrano waiting his NTC to allow a trade to Kansas City

[erik316wttn]

I'd be a-ok with this if KC picks up most of the contract or we get some quality talent back in return.

[Little Slide Rooter]

If I were GM I would pay his entire salary if we could get Montgomery or Hosmer.

 

Well yeah, but that's not going to happen for 1 year of a mentally unstable middle of the rotation pitcher no matter how much we eat.

[jersey cubs fan]

Wow, anybody else surprised how open he was talking about a player under contract to another team?

[Banedon]

I'm picturing Kaplan working the phones like a GM, calling every team in the league trying to "sell" Zambrano.

[Sammy Sofa]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

 

You're talking like they have to get rid of Zambrano and Soriano to contend.

[pitchcs]

"Carlos Zambrano is a heckuva competitor."

 

I really like the way Moore is thinking right now.

[Hollandsworths mug]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

 

You're talking like they have to get rid of Zambrano and Soriano to contend.

 

Meaning if Theo and Jed feel Z and Sori need to go, they can do what they need to do to make it happen.

[Sammy Sofa]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

 

You're talking like they have to get rid of Zambrano and Soriano to contend.

 

Meaning if Theo and Jed feel Z and Sori need to go, they can do what they need to do to make it happen.

 

That wasn't the case with Hendry?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm picturing Kaplan working the phones like a GM, calling every team in the league trying to "sell" Zambrano.

 

Give the man credit. It would have been easy to rest on his laurels after Ramirez left town, but he's keeping his eye on the prize. Starlin Castro and Matt Garza, you are on notice.

[XZero771679666304]

Send Z and $14MM for Brett Eibner and Jeremy Jeffress.

[BeerHere]

If I were GM I would pay his entire salary if we could get Montgomery or Hosmer.

 

Well yeah, but that's not going to happen for 1 year of a mentally unstable middle of the rotation pitcher no matter how much we eat.

I was thinking that the 2013 option was his. According to this article is a player option if he meets some criteria. The 2013 option could kick in if he's healthy and finished in the top 4 in the Cy Young. I doubt it happens but it's still out there if he pitches extremely well in 2012.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2978642

 

He has a full no-trade clause and gets a $5 million signing bonus. If he finishes first or second in Cy Young Award voting in 2011 or finishes in the top four in Cy Young balloting in 2012 and is healthy at the end of the fifth year, he has the option for a sixth year at $19.25 million.

Edited November 8, 2011 by BeerHere

[Hollandsworths mug]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

 

You're talking like they have to get rid of Zambrano and Soriano to contend.

 

Meaning if Theo and Jed feel Z and Sori need to go, they can do what they need to do to make it happen.

 

That wasn't the case with Hendry?

 

I will ask you the same question. My guess is that Ricketts did not want Hendry making any more trades being that he was getting ready to launch him and probably did not trust him to get max value on any deal. If that is the case, he would be correct.

[pitchcs]

The question is how much of it would the Cubs have to eat and what could they get back in return? I dont know anything about the current Royals roster or farm system.

 

I don't think it matters. Ricketts has probably told Theo and Jed to do whatever they need to do to make this team a contender. If it means eating 75% of a contract, they probably have the ability to do it.

 

Furthermore, this probably means Soriano's days are very numbered.

 

You're talking like they have to get rid of Zambrano and Soriano to contend.

 

Meaning if Theo and Jed feel Z and Sori need to go, they can do what they need to do to make it happen.

 

That wasn't the case with Hendry?

 

Probably not actually. I highly doubt Ricketts gave Hendry the go ahead to eat either one of those contracts knowing he was going to fire him.

[RammyFanny]

The title of that article made me LOL for some reason.

 

"Kaplan: Royals Interested in Zambrano": By David Kaplan

[Sammy Sofa]

Probably not actually. I highly doubt Ricketts gave Hendry the go ahead to eat either one of those contracts knowing he was going to fire him.

 

Well, trading Zambrano under Hendry was largely moot. They weren't going to trade him after 2012 with the way he bounced back and they weren't going to trade him during 2011 with his value completely rock bottom regardless of whether Hendry was fired or not. Soriano, on the other hand, I think is a different situation. I highly doubt the Ricketts would have stopped him from trading him if he could have. I also don't think the Ricketts and the FO will just move these guys to move them. The OP's idea that it's necessary to to dump these guys "no matter what it takes" doesn't really ring true. Obviously, if there's a deal there to be made to benefit the Cubs they'll do it, but trading them just to trade them and eating the cost regardless of what it is isn't automatically productive.

[SouthSideRyan]

If I were GM I would pay his entire salary if we could get Montgomery or Hosmer.

 

Well yeah, but that's not going to happen for 1 year of a mentally unstable middle of the rotation pitcher no matter how much we eat.

I was thinking that the 2013 option was his. According to this article is a player option if he meets some criteria. The 2013 option could kick in if he's healthy and finished in the top 4 in the Cy Young. I doubt it happens but it's still out there if he pitches extremely well in 2012.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2978642

 

He has a full no-trade clause and gets a $5 million signing bonus. If he finishes first or second in Cy Young Award voting in 2011 or finishes in the top four in Cy Young balloting in 2012 and is healthy at the end of the fifth year, he has the option for a sixth year at $19.25 million.

 

Why would you not want him back on 1/19.25 if he was top 4 in Cy Young?

[Burtonbell]

Z & $13 mil for Jonathan Sanchez? Would the Royals view Z an upgrade over Sanchez? Are they committed to Sanchez? Who else on the Royals would the Cubs need?

 

Z & Cash for Butler?

Z & Cash for Francouer?