faba Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Cubs, Zambrano avoid arbitration with 1-year deal Associated Press MESA, Ariz. -- Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $12.4 million, one-year contract Tuesday, avoiding salary arbitration by striking the deal just before their scheduled hearing. 2006 SEASON STATISTICSGMWLBBKERA331671152103.41 Zambrano earned $6.5 million last season while going 16-7 with a 3.41 ERA and 210 strikeouts. He asked for $15.5 million in arbitration, while the Cubs countered at $11,025,000 -- more than any player had been awarded. Now, the sides can focus on trying to work out a multiyear contract, which would likely be in the five-year range. Zambrano told WGN-TV last week that he would leave as a free agent after the season if the Cubs did not sign him to a long-term deal by opening day -- but he backed off those comments a few days later. He did, however, reiterate that he won't negotiate during the season and wants to be paid on the level of fellow pitcher Barry Zito, who got a $126 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco this offseason. No Cubs player has gone to arbitration since Mark Grace in 1993. Zambrano said Monday he was "85 to 90 percent" sure a deal would get done before the hearing. Cubs manager Lou Piniella predicted there would be an agreement, too. "I don't think the club needs that, and neither does the player," Piniella said Tuesday afternoon. Piniella said he attended one hearing -- when he was the New York Yankees' general manager in the late 1980s and third baseman Mike Pagliarulo went to arbitration -- and it was a "rough process." Piniella didn't present any arguments; he just listened. But he did offer a compromise after the hearing. "After it was over, I told him, 'We'll split this thing before the awards are made because I think you're not going to be pleased with the outcome,'" Piniella recalled. "He chose not to, and I was right. I felt a little uncomfortable in there, to be honest." Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike1 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 You can be sure that Zambrano sees that payday for next year in his dreams every night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Troll Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Nice start. Now lock him up long-term before the season starts. I don't want another Aramis Ramirez situation here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smizzy Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 The Baby Bull would look great in Pinstripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 The Baby Bull would look great in Pinstripes. Go rob somebody else's roster... ya bunch of thieves:Nuts:. Look for Z to get his emotions in better shape too with his new manager that will happily remind him to do as I say - not as I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike1 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Go rob somebody else's roster... ya bunch of thieves:Nuts:. Look for Z to get his emotions in better shape too with his new manager that will happily remind him to do as I say - not as I do. The cubs just spent 300+ million. They have no right to bitch about anyone else spending money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Troll Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 The cubs just spent 300+ million. They have no right to bitch about anyone else spending money. Yet their payroll is still roughly half of what the Yankees is. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike1 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Yet their payroll is still roughly half of what the Yankees is. Go figure. it's a lot more then half. The cub payroll is around 128 million according to hardball dollars and the yankee payroll is around 178. i don't care about anyone spending money you just better make the playoffs or you're gonna look pretty silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbn007 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Someone will offer "Z" something in the Zito range, same length and same dollars. The days of not giving pitchers long term deals, which seemed to start right after the Dodgers and Dreifort deal, are over. Zambrano will get one after 2007, Santana after 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanDoug Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Nice start. Now lock him up long-term before the season starts. I don't want another Aramis Ramirez situation here. Agree. What's this 1 year sh**? I know it's a start, but finish the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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