OK, so what do you say to the problem that Z has back problems that tie into his weight, weight which he has shown he has trouble keeping off, weight which will just be harder and harder to keep off? Is that really the kind of situation you want to invest a maybe 5+-year-deal with? What about his mental/emotional/whatever you want to call it maturity? I think it's very difficult to show that he's "grown" in that area...if anything, he's just gotten worse. How many times do we need to see him basically throw a tantrum on the mound and dig a hole for his team that can easily cost them a win? What about his increasing walk numbers? What about that he's giving up more and more home runs? These are all very worrisome things that can just be brushed aside. Yes, he's been a very good pitcher and I think he still can be a good pitcher. That said, I don't think paying him #1 or ace money is prudent, because he's not showing that he is one. In a perfect world, he's the #3 pitcher behind Prior and Wood. As it stands right now, he's not even the #3. Yeah, I know he'll likely get better, if he's not injured, but I really don't think it's that unusual or overreactionary to question how good he is for the Cubs and how much he's worth if he's resigned.