Waive Zambrano? Worst. Idea. Ever.
One Tribune writer's oh-so-brilliant idea
By EAMONN BRENNAN
Updated 2:38 PM CST, Mon, Jun 29, 2009
It's Wimbledon season, so perhaps it's the perfect time to bust out the immortal words of John McEnroe, paraphrased: "Phil Rogers, you cannot be serious."
That's the only sane response to Rogers' insane thought this morning, one that we would have ignored -- usually, isolation is the best way to handle a crazy column -- were we not startled by this poll: According to the Chicago Tribune's online results, 57 percent of readers think the Cubs should waive Carlos Zambrano. This is frightening. This needs to be addressed.
Where would readers get that idea? From Rogers' column this morning, which devises this solution as a method of getting rid of a pitcher with a 3.49 career ERA:
First thing Monday morning, put Zambrano on waivers. If anyone claims him and the $62.75 million left on his contract, which runs through 2012, immediately trade him for whatever is being offered, from a bag of balls to a 32-year-old minor-leaguer.
It's well past first thing Monday morning, so it can be assumed that the Cubs didn't take Rogers's advice. Good thing.
Waiving Zambrano and accepting a "bag of balls" in return isn't just a silly little notion, it's actively anti-intelligent. Rogers claims Zambrano "doesn't deliver," but the truth of the matter is that since Kerry Wood and Mark Prior's arms broke down in 2003, Zambrano has amassed 95 wins and 1,100-plus strikeouts. He has been the anchor of a staff that has at times ranged from inconsistent to just plain bad, the one player Cubs fans usually can count on to deliver. Zambrano has been an ace.
If he's losing his stuff (which he isn't, before Sunday's game he had a sub-1.00 ERA since returning from injury this season, so clearly he can still pitch) then blame Hendry and the Cubs for paying Zambrano in the first place, for being so utterly unable to build a competent farm system they've resorted to being the Midwest's version of the Yankees: all aging free agents and big salaries and little to show for it. The only difference being that at least the Yankees used to win a lot.
No, Rogers would like to do an irrational thing (releasing Zambrano) based on one game (an admittedly horrible 6-0 outing Sunday) because it would probably feel good and it gets people excited and they vote in online polls when they're excited. That's about as thick as the reasoning gets.
And this is the Chicago Tribune's dedicated national baseball writer. Sigh.
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 29, 2009 2:18 PM CST
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