As most of you have read, Carlos Zambrano has reportedly been moved to the bullpen for the Chicago Cubs.
How one comes to the conclusion that Zambrano is the weakest link of a starting rotation featuring Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny is a question no baseball follower can answer.
Zambrano has made six straight Opening Day starts for the Chicago Cubs and has been the proclaimed ace of this staff for the same amount of years, but the one negative tattooed on his positive stuff is his mental capacity to accept even the tiniest of irritations.
What better way to get Zambrano's head on right than to demote him to the bullpen?
How about paying him $17.875 million for it?
What boggles the mind even further is the fact Zambrano seemed to be getting things together after his Opening Day debacle in which he gave up eight earned runs on six hits in 1.1 innings pitched.
Zambrano followed up Opening Day with a seven inning, nine strikeout performance giving up only three earned runs on six hits and two walks to get the win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Zambrano then had a mediocre outing, giving up three earned runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Zambrano was able to bounce back last night against the New York Mets, giving up two earned runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out nine in six innings of work.
The Cubs decided to award Zambrano by giving him no offense and then sending him to the bullpen.
It isn't as if Zambrano is coming off three starts in which he gave up five or more runs, then proceeded to throw a temper tantrum.
Zambrano seemed to be turning things around and in true Cub management fashion, the team decided to completely screw it up.
There will be no chance at a turnaround now for the veteran, as he will sit in the bullpen awaiting the awkward question "Um, Carlos, would you please go back to the rotation because (insert either Silva or Gorzelanny) is awful (or hurt)?"
At which point Zambrano should smile and say, "Can you please bring me my paycheck and a plane ticket to another team?"
Have fun shopping a guy you publicly demoted to the bullpen, Cubs.
If you get him to pinch-hit a couple times, perhaps an AL team will take him as a DH and give you a bucket of balls for him.
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