The Phillies signed right-hander Carlos Zambrano to a Minor League deal on May 15, setting July 1 as an opt-out date. Zambrano worked himself back into game shape, then started at Single-A Clearwater, then Double-A Reading, and most recently with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Entering tonight’s start, his last in the Phillies’ Minor League system at least, he had posted a 1.89 ERA in 31.1 innings. Despite the nice ERA, reports have been less than enthusiastic, citing a sub-90 MPH fastball and baffling inefficiency. As time went on, it became more and more clear that Zambrano wasn’t going to earn that coveted promotion to the Majors.
Tonight, his fate has been sealed. He left his start against the Durham Bulls after only two innings with an apparent arm injury. The Phillies will seek to bolster their flimsy starting rotation elsewhere (if they even do at all) while the 32-year-old Zambrano will seek a path to the Major Leagues elsewhere.
