Reading, via MetsBlog, Jon Heyman’s report that Carlos Zambrano is “eminently available” got me thinking, and not just about how it directly contradicts earlier reports.
For Zambrano to be traded, he’d have to waive his no-trade clause, and I wonder, if I was in his situation, if I’d want to.
On one hand, signing a contract with a club with a no-trade clause guarantees the right to play out the contract with that club. So it’s not like it should make him a bad guy to exercise that right. On the other, I can’t imagine it’d be that great a feeling to stick around an organization when you know it doesn’t want you.
I don’t know Zambrano, but judging by some of the things he’s said and done, it’s safe to say he’s, ahh, unique. He hates Gatorade dispensers, for one thing. And he’s vowed to retire after his current contract is up so he could spend more Mother’s Days with his family, which is nice.
The whole concept of “trading,” as has been well-documented, is weird. It’s not something that happens in most occupations. Of course, most occupations don’t come with five-year, $91.5 million contracts, so there’s a trade-off there.
But I’m pretty sure I’d be a little taken aback if one day some SNY bigwig came over to my little nook of the office and was just like, “hey Ted, bad news, man. We’re trading you to NESN for Eric Ortiz. Now pack up your stuff and uproot your family.”
And if that same bigwig said, “of course, you have the option of staying here, but, you know, we’d really like to get rid of you and we’d much rather have Ortiz, but if it’s so important to you that you stay in your home in the city you love, well, I guess that’s OK,” I honestly don’t know what I’d do.
Zambrano apparently owns a home in the Chicago area. He has had a bit of a rocky relationship with Cubbie fans, but he’s never played for any other team.
So would you stay at your job, knowing that your bosses and possibly your co-workers didn’t want you around anymore, provided that your only other option was moving to a whole other city somewhere in a different part of the country?
Tedquarters 
I think pro-sports is a somewhat nomadic lifestyle and most players accept that. It is very unusual for any player in any sport to spend his entire career with one team. As you say the payoff is the huge $$$.
This one is entirely in his hands though and Zamabrano strikes me as someone who does not care a lot what others think, so yeah, tough one to call.
I’m Back. Happy Holidays everyone. I would be pissed if they traded you to NESN for anyone. Ray Knight seems like the biggest Mets hater of them all and don’t get me started on Rob ” I’m the worst broadcaster ever once I left Dan Patrick’s show Dibble”.
I’m back in New York now, but for 6 and half years Iwas in North Carolina. Ted, I’ve talked to you on different occasions in the past via email. I also had to pay extra on directv to get sny which is out of market (this makes no sense) the Nationals and Orioles are the home teams of North Carolina.
I grew up in Astoria Queens, not living here for a while, I realize how lucky I was to have Shea and now Citi Field and the us open and everything else so close to enjoy. So, anytime the Mets played the horrible nationals, (how great would it be for omar to wake up and make a trade for the pitcher that is from NY in John Lanan?) That guy is going to be great one day. It was torture to watch anything on Nesn, including the actual game.
Dibble does nothing, but bash NY because of issues he had when he pitched for the reds. I think any pitcher will and does have any issues with pitching against a championship lineup especially against one of the mid to late 80’s.
There is one thing worse and that is the broadcasters of the marlins. TORTURE. I had a conversation with my Brother in Law the other night and he asked me who I hated more or as much as the Phillies and I said the Marlins and Braves. I hate all 3 equally, but I can tolerate the Braves because they showed what they could do on the field. They weren’t jealous of the spotlight that the Mets get win or lose (Phillies)or because there place where the play is irrelevant (Marlins)
That’s since, I’m on my net book. Small key board, big fingers.
Man, I feel like Cerrone now. Sorry everyone I will proof read before I post for now on
They make the big bucks now, but they used to be traded like so much horsemeat when they made relatively nothing, also.