I really didn’t want to report this, but Zambrano signed a 5-year $91.5 million contract extension with the Cubs on August 17. Everyone thinks he’s the ace of the Cubs staff, but I beg to differ. An ace doesn’t walk 100 guys in a season. Sorry. It’s a fact. An ace isn’t supposed to issue so many free passes in a season.

Scott Kazmir could get away with walking 100 guys in a season, but he’s spent about the equivalent of 3 years worth of starts. Zambrano is in his 7th year in the bigs. Last year he walked 115 guys. This year he’s on track to walk 97 in 33 starts. Sure he strikes out guys, but walking about 100 guys and striking out about 200 isn’t becoming of an ace.

Zambrano gets wins. I can’t doubt that. In fact, he’s good. But I think he can be even better. A team shouldn’t fork out $91 million in the hope that a guy gets better. They pay for the real deal. Zambrano will never win a Cy Young if he continues to issue 100 walks or around that mark. He could win 25 games, but if he walks a lot of guys it’ll be hard for the baseball public to say he’s great. ESPN has the story up.

Zambrano’s deal includes an option in 2013 which could make the deal a 6-year $110.75 million. Big Z gets a full no trade clause and a $5 million signing bonus. But Big Z still said “Not everything is about money, you know.” Really now.

To view Zambrano’s Yahoo! Sports MLB stats, click here.