Just when you thought the Cubs would never find a team to take their resident headcase off their hands, along come the Miami Marlins to save the day.
Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs agreed to send Carlos Zambrano and $15.5 million to the Marlins for pitcher Chris Volstad.
Cubs fans have long grown tired of Zambrano's antics and apparently management has as well. Despite Theo Epstein saying that Zambrano has a chance to earn his way back to being a Cub, it appears now that was not the case.
Volstad owns a career 4.59 ERA over 3 1/2 seasons, but seemed to improve during the second half of 2011, posting a 4.04 ERA in 62.1 IP. A sinkerballer, Volstad has a career 1.56 GO/AO ratio. He is in his first year of arbitration and under team control through 2014.
Overall I like this trade for the Cubs. It reminds me a little of the Milton Bradley trade, except that, instead of taking a bad contract in return, the Cubs just had to throw a lot of cash the Marlins way and were able to get a decent pitcher in return.
Already Marlin fans are claiming victory, just like Mariner fans did after the Bradley trade. But we all know how that worked out in the end.
So, good riddance Zambrano. You and Ozzie Guillen are made for each other.
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