Zambrano wants to be a Cardinal...

by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Jun 15, 2007 8:39 AM EDT

Ok, maybe not, but this was pretty funny/interesting from a recent article.

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Zambrano changing colors?
Pitcher jests about red shinguards from 'my next catcher'
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

June 14, 2007, 10:44 PM CDT

Mark Buehrle still gets heat for wearing a St. Louis Cardinals cap at a World Series game last October, but Carlos Zambrano one-upped Buehrle before Thursday's Cubs game.

Zambrano motioned to reporters standing around the clubhouse and pointed to a box that contained a pair of red shinguards.

"It's a gift from my next catcher, Yadier," Zambrano said.

Zambrano was referring to St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, although he didn't specify whether he was going to St. Louis or Molina was coming to the Cubs.

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Yadier

... might want to enroll in a Judo class - just in case.

by bgodar on Jun 15, 2007 8:54 AM EDT reply actions

That's sure to piss off

The other 15%.

by liam on Jun 15, 2007 9:25 AM EDT reply actions

The man can pitch! He may explode from time to time, but finally someone who cares enough to be angry.....He'd tell LaDunc where to put that pitch-to-contact crap. And when he smacked Barrett, well he was just doing what needed to be done on behalf of the entire Cubs pitching staff!

by jillsinmo on Jun 15, 2007 9:40 AM EDT reply actions

He's scary

a lot of people think his best days are behind him and that his arm may fall off at any moment. The prospect of throwing 6 years and $90-100 million at him to have his arm fall apart is scary as hell.

by chuckb on Jun 15, 2007 9:51 AM EDT reply actions

He sure IS scary.....

I wouldn't go for a long term deal with him--but three or four years would be worth the risk. Hey, you got to do something to revitalize this team....

by jillsinmo on Jun 15, 2007 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

agreed...

He's a huge risk...a hard thrower who's pitched a lot of innings at a young age...let's stop the Zambrano talk. He's not coming to StL - he doesn't fit the profile of a groundball pitcher who throws sinkers down in the zone... :)

Good pitching will beat good hitting any time, and vice versa. ~Bob Veale, 1966

by bukowski on Jun 15, 2007 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

But he does throw a sinker down in the zone

by Valatan on Jun 15, 2007 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Jerry Seinfeld had it right

We're just rooting for laundry.

by DCGreg on Jun 15, 2007 10:13 AM EDT reply actions

Carlos is Crazy

I like him. I think that is hilarious to say to the Chicago media. I work with a diehard Cubs fan and he just shook his head. He is not surprised at all by the comment. I guess he is a little more out there than I ever even thought. I know he won't be coming here but I think a (healthy?) one-two of carp and z would be awesome.

I wasn't a religious man before but Albert Pujols confirms the truth that is Jesus H. Christ of Nazareth.

by 636thestruggle on Jun 15, 2007 11:05 AM EDT reply actions

Can that really happen?

I would be estatic about Z on the Cards. I don't think Yadier is going to Chicago so he must be hinting at coming to St. Louis. If he were to come over I could not believe that Chicago would trade him to us and help us out of our need for pitching jam. Maybe we would have to sign him as a free agent. We could dish Reyes with a package to the White Soxs for Burehle. Sign Z in the off season. In 2008 we could field Duncan LF, Edmonds/Rasmus CF, Joe Mather RF, Pujols 1B, Anybody 2B, Healthy Eck SS, Rolen, 3B, Yadier CA,
SP 1-5...Carp, MUlder, Zambrano, Burehle, Wagonmaker. BP Izzy,Kinney,Perez,...etc. By saving money on the outfield we could afford to pay Zambrano and Burehle.

The Red Blazer

by Red Blazer on Jun 15, 2007 11:12 AM EDT reply actions

that rotation would cost

well over $50 million. throw in the mv3, eck, and yadi and (i think - didn't check mlbcontracts) right there you're looking at $100m or more. and you're trying to keep izzy?

better tell dewitt to bring the BIG checkbook. like, hendry-style.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay how about this...

Move Wainright back to closer with Kinney as set up, bring up Ryan. With no Eck, Encarnacion, or Izzy we might be able to afford the Rotation. The fifth starter slot can go to up and coming prospects in Triple A and Double A giving them a shot until they lose and then bringing someone else up until they lose. Make that fifth starter fight for his life and you could get the best out of him as well as keep giving your oppponents a new look with a different pitcher every few weeks.
Pitching wins championships. We should have enough offense & defense around to make us competitive for the year.

The Red Blazer

by Red Blazer on Jun 15, 2007 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

well, i hadn't even counted encarnacion

or looper in there yet. and wainwright costs pretty much the same as an AAA guy. so other than losing izzy, that saves you no money. you could bring up reyes and have WW close, or leave WW in the rotation and pick a closer among: kinney, thompson, dove. all the same price, basically.

but the cost of pujols, rolen and edmonds isn't changing next year, and those first 4 rotation spots are going to cost you enough that you're not going to be able to afford it.

unless the cards are willing to end up in the top five in baseball in terms of their opening day payroll - basically, an increase of $20 million or so over 2007 - i don't see any possible way they could afford both buehrle and zambrano. and that's even assuming buehrle gives a hometown discount, they replace izzy and eck with pre-arb salaries, and don't resign, basically, anyone making more than $1 million.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd love to have him

But I wonder if Jimmy would?

Okay, quick... Everybody back on the bandwagon... Now back off!

by Alxfritz on Jun 15, 2007 12:58 PM EDT reply actions

Zambrano=Andujar

But will he come to the Cardinals? Youneverknow.

He is one tough Venezuelan.

The 26th Man

by 26thMan on Jun 15, 2007 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

He'll go to whomever

writes him the biggest check!

by chuckb on Jun 15, 2007 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I could be wrong

But does he really mean this, or is he just looking to piss off the Cubs brass?

I mean, come on, it's the Cardinals -- the hated rival of the Cubs. That would be like Johnny Damon going to play for the New York Yankees!

Free Anthony Reyes!

by sgfcards on Jun 15, 2007 1:56 PM EDT reply actions

I think you're right...

next week he'll say he's going to the Astros...he's just trying to get attention to the fact that he's not signed...

by joeyart on Jun 15, 2007 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Next week

Z will probably be walking around the clubhouse wearing one of those stupid orange T-shirts the 'Stros gave out yesterday.

by cardsgirl95 on Jun 15, 2007 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I think most Cardinals fans

see what he is trying to do. It'd be the equivalent of Manny Ramirez, in his contract year, walking around with a Yankee-logo stitched jockstrap saying "Look what my good friend Derek gave me"

Interested in pre-1990 Cardinals games on tape

by Hardcore Legend on Jun 15, 2007 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Dude!

That was just wrong!

Free Anthony Reyes!

by sgfcards on Jun 15, 2007 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't believe

a word of it.

by cardsrul on Jun 15, 2007 2:20 PM EDT reply actions

Zambrano

looked pretty buddy buddy with Barrett in the dugout today as the Cubs beat the Padres. I don't buy it. We'd have to pay him more than Carp.

satis superque

by ortic jones on Jun 15, 2007 4:50 PM EDT reply actions

uh, well,

yes, they would. that much is pretty clear.

unless they're getting a pretty sick hometown discount, they're going to have to pay buehrle more than carp, too. carp is a very cheap #1 in today's FA market.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you really think they'll

pay someone more than Carp? I know they'll have to get a quality starter, but will they? Also, they'd have to give Zambrano at least 5 years, and I don't see that happening.

by ortic jones on Jun 15, 2007 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

well,

maybe they will and maybe they won't. but carp had to know he was signing that extension for cheap, and he's seen what has happened to the FA pitching market. for him to say, "no cardinal pitcher can make more than me!" is basically the same thing as him saying, "no cardinal pitcher other than me can be an established #2 or better!" which doesn't really seem fair.

if you count this year in carp's contract extension, it's a deal for 5/63. again, barring a SIGNIFICANT hometown discount from buehrle, i don't see $12.6/year getting it done...and i really don't see that getting it done for zambrano. i mean, zambrano right now is making $12.4 on a one-year deal just because they couldn't get anything else done. no way he takes that same amount to go somewhere else.

jason schmidt apparently left money on the table and signed for 3/47. zito went for 7/126. i recognize that people have considered that zito contract insane from the moment it was signed. but here's the thing - zambrano is clearly both better and younger than zito. and unless you think 2006 buehrle is the real buehrle - and there's no indication it is - then buehrle is better and younger, too.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions

so. not saying they will.

just saying, if they don't, they're not getting zambrano, and not getting buehrle unless he signs at a steep, steep discount.

i mean, buehrle could be offered that zito contract. and if he is, the cards' best offer, in monetary terms, may be short by HALF.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

which isn't even considering

that i think this red shinguards thing is all talk.

I believe in the Sports Guy rule. Any "complaining" in this post is actually happy, cheerful "constructive criticism."

by nycbirdo on Jun 15, 2007 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

All this speculation is sure fun, but we

won't be signing either one of them. There is no way that they would pay the boatload of money it's going to take........in the meantime, we'll probably get someone like John Lieber. I do wonder if Walt was on the trip looking for someone off of the Royals roster. They have some talent on that team that might be interesting.......probably get Scott Elarton....snark

by jillsinmo on Jun 15, 2007 9:05 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe he meant

the World Baseball Classic coming up this spring??

by stltrav09 on Jun 15, 2007 11:54 PM EDT reply actions

Huhh ?

I thought Zambrano was from Venezuela and Yadier was from Puerto Rico. How could he catch Zambano unless he defected from Venezuela and established residence in Puerto Rico. That seems a lot more dificult than signing with the cardinals.

The Red Blazer

by Red Blazer on Jun 16, 2007 1:41 PM EDT reply actions

You are correct, sir

about their nationalities. They could only oppose each other in the WBC.

by cardsgirl95 on Jun 16, 2007 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought the WBC

was in another 4 years after that like the olimpics

thats what she said

by kyle man on Jun 16, 2007 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Well,

I would love to see it. Zambrano is quite a character, and he loves playing the press. It would be fun. Besides, the dude can pitch and hit, and we haven't seen too much of that around these parts lately.

by jillsinmo on Jun 16, 2007 1:54 PM EDT reply actions

maybe...

.. and this is just trying to make sense of this, but maybe big z was referring to the all star game? even though he is having a down year and yadi is injured, thats the only other thing i could think of

by bigmcq16 on Jun 16, 2007 5:17 PM EDT reply actions