Luvofthegame
09-06-2006, 10:45 PM
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter
September 6, 2006
With a big-money, multiyear contract awaiting him in 2007, Carlos Zambrano must decide whether it's worth the risk to return from his back injury and make a handful of starts the rest of the season.
An MRI on Zambrano's back showed nothing more than irritation, but he will miss at least one start as he waits for the pain to subside.
Zambrano sounded as if he eventually will decide to shut himself down for the remainder of 2006.
"I want to pitch, but I can't take a risk on my career with this," Zambrano said. "When you have a back problem … sometimes you can [compensate and] hurt your shoulder, and that can be the end of my career in one or two seasons. I don't want that to happen."
Trainer Mark O'Neal said there is "no significant irritation" to Zambrano's back.
Zambrano has gone from thinking about possibly winning the Cy Young Award to the possibility of blowing a big payday if he hurts himself. With Houston's Roy Oswalt signing a five-year, $73 million extension last week, Zambrano's price tag figures to go up accordingly.
He will be a free agent after 2007, and the Cubs probably have to sign him before the start of next season to keep him through 2012.
Zambrano, 25, is 62-41 in 164 career games with a 3.30 earned-run average and 843 strikeouts in 956 innings. The 29-year-old Oswalt is 94-47 with a 3.07 ERA in 183 games, with 986 strikeouts in 1,165 innings.
The Cubs know the risks of long-term contracts. They gave Kerry Wood $32.5 million for three years in 2004 and watched him make only 14 starts the last two seasons.
If Zambrano's back is a recurring problem, would they be wise to give him a five-year deal?
"I have a history of problems with my back," Zambrano said. "I've had a problem with my back the last three years. One thing people don't know is one of my legs (the right) is longer than the other one, and that's my main problem. We're born like that. All Zambranos are born like that."
Tribune staff reporter
September 6, 2006
With a big-money, multiyear contract awaiting him in 2007, Carlos Zambrano must decide whether it's worth the risk to return from his back injury and make a handful of starts the rest of the season.
An MRI on Zambrano's back showed nothing more than irritation, but he will miss at least one start as he waits for the pain to subside.
Zambrano sounded as if he eventually will decide to shut himself down for the remainder of 2006.
"I want to pitch, but I can't take a risk on my career with this," Zambrano said. "When you have a back problem … sometimes you can [compensate and] hurt your shoulder, and that can be the end of my career in one or two seasons. I don't want that to happen."
Trainer Mark O'Neal said there is "no significant irritation" to Zambrano's back.
Zambrano has gone from thinking about possibly winning the Cy Young Award to the possibility of blowing a big payday if he hurts himself. With Houston's Roy Oswalt signing a five-year, $73 million extension last week, Zambrano's price tag figures to go up accordingly.
He will be a free agent after 2007, and the Cubs probably have to sign him before the start of next season to keep him through 2012.
Zambrano, 25, is 62-41 in 164 career games with a 3.30 earned-run average and 843 strikeouts in 956 innings. The 29-year-old Oswalt is 94-47 with a 3.07 ERA in 183 games, with 986 strikeouts in 1,165 innings.
The Cubs know the risks of long-term contracts. They gave Kerry Wood $32.5 million for three years in 2004 and watched him make only 14 starts the last two seasons.
If Zambrano's back is a recurring problem, would they be wise to give him a five-year deal?
"I have a history of problems with my back," Zambrano said. "I've had a problem with my back the last three years. One thing people don't know is one of my legs (the right) is longer than the other one, and that's my main problem. We're born like that. All Zambranos are born like that."