Carlos Zambrano: Trade Him or Keep Him??

Carlos Zambrano. Is he the Cy Young candidate that everyone was looking for, or is he a guy that people are going to have anxiety attacks over every time he takes the hill? The answer is simple; he gets better as the season goes on. Last season, his April numbers looked like this: 6 starts, 33 innings, a 0-2 record, 5.35 ERA, and a 1.72 WHIP. From May to July he was 12-1, and is 117 innings he gave up just 35 runs. In May and June his ERA was under 2.00, and his WHIP was just over 1.00.

Those numbers alone should inform you that his best months are on their way. After tomorrow the calendar turns to May. A pitcher like this has been one of the biggest first month disappointments that anyone has ever seen. He is in a contract year, and was a projected Cy Young candidate at the start of the year. He was also one of the top 5 starters that were drafted around fantasy leagues. Hopefully, no manager who drafted him has traded him already. I have him on my team, and I know first-hand what it was like during this first month. However, what fantasy owners probably didn’t know is that his worst career numbers are against the teams he faced in the first month. Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati were the teams he faced in April, and they have forced some of his highest career ERA total with a minimum of 5 starts. His final start against St. Louis this past week is what we should expect from Zambrano in the coming months. He has had good career numbers against St. Louis with an ERA under 3.00.

He was one of the best pitchers throughout the middle of the season last year. In fact he was in a lot of Cy Young talks throughout the middle of the year. He is back in that picture again this season, as well as in negotiation for a new contract. You can rest assure that in the coming months as the weather heats up, so will Carlos. His numbers were staggering last year through the next three months, and only if the bullpen was a little better last year his win total would’ve been a lot higher.

The bottom line is the anxiety attacks should be over as far as Carlos Zambrano is concerned. Hopefully you didn’t panic and make a move to trade him thinking he wasn’t going to product this season. Keep him in your lineups against any competitor because this summer should be fun with Carlos on your roster. There is a lot on the line for Zambrano this season, he knows that, and what you should know is that he will produce in the coming months. He might be a good trade asset later this season as his stock goes higher during his best career months. Don’t panic, we are only a month through and this top pitcher still has a lot to show you.