Presumably one of the first things that new Cubs president Theo Epstein will deal with in his new gig is the situation regarding pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Given how unlikely it is that he returns to the team, that essentially means that he needs to find suitors for the volatile right-hander. According to David Kaplan of CSN Chicago, the Royals may be one of them, as Kansas City is showing interest in Big Z.
On a Kansas City radio show yesterday, Royals GM Dayton Moore said that he'd consider acquiring Zambrano from the Cubs in the right deal, although he mentioned concerned about the pitcher's no-trade clause and contract as possible hurdles in a deal. Zambrano is currently pitching in Venezuela as he prepares to pitch again next season.
This shouldn't be totally surprising to some Royals fans, as the team continues to search for MLB-ready pitching talent. The team acquired Jonathan Sanchez from San Francisco yesterday, and likely will add at least one more starter to its rotation before the beginning of next season.