The Miami Marlins have made headlines this offseason with the high priced acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehlre, and Heath Bell. In adding former Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, they’ve injected a highly combustible player into the mix… but he could represent their lowest risk and best gamble of the offseason.
Carlos Zambrano’s time in Chicago was marked by high expectations but very public blowups. Michael Barrett once got into a sparring match in the dugout, and no gatorade container was safe within 50 yards of the easily excitable Zambrano. He was finally banished from the team for good after a forgettable outing against the Atlanta Braves in which he gave up 5 homeruns and clearly quit on his team. The Cubs were left with nothing except an $18 million price tag for 2012 on Zambrano, and they certainly couldn’t go into the season with him in the rotation.
Enter the Miami Marlins. In new manager Ozzie Guillen, they have perhaps one of the only people in baseball with a stronger personality, and one that could keep “Big Z” in check. In that the Cubs had to unload him, the Marlins became an ideal landing spot. The Marlins are reportedly only on the hook for $3 million of his 2012 salary.
In Zambrano, they are getting a 30 year old power right hander with 125 wins on his resume. That makes him the 2nd winningest pitcher in all of baseball that enters the 2012 season at the age of 31 or younger (CC Sabathia has 176). For comparison’s sake, Josh Beckett (31) also has 125 wins. Cliff Lee (32) has 119. Dan Haren (30) has 107. Jered Weaver (28) just signed an $85 million contract and has 82 wins on his resume – he’ll have a difficult time being as accomplished as Zambrano at the same age.
At just a $3 million price tag, Zambrano represents the perfect gamble for this boom or bust Miami Marlins team. If he flops, they can cut him. If he succeeds under Guillen’s watch, he becomes the top 4th or 5th starter in National League and brings the Marlins that much closer to contending in the highly competitive NL East. Oh, and he has reason to put it together… he’ll be a free agent, and this offers him the perfect opportunity to reclaim his identity. He’s the perfect gamble for the 2012 new look Miami Marlins.