Zombro joined the organization last season as special assistant to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. He had previously worked at Tread Athletics, a renowned training center. Washington was pursuing Zombro to become the club’s major league pitching coach, Sharma said. Instead of allowing him to interview with the Nats, he was given an extended gig in Chicago.
Zombro spent six seasons as a minor league reliever, almost exclusively with Tampa Bay. His career was nearly cut short by a terrifying injury in 2021, when the right-hander was hit in the head by a line drive. The ball hit at 105 mph fractured his skull and caused him to have a seizure on the mound. Zombro underwent brain surgery in July 2021. Incredibly, he returned briefly in 2022 but had to undergo surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome after two appearances. He joined the Rangers in 2023 and appeared in a few games at Triple-A.
The Zombro promotion was already underway before the Cubs lost director of pitching Ryan Otero to the Red Sox, Sharma notes. Otero had spent nearly eight years in Chicago’s player development department. Boston hired him as special assistant to the chief baseball officer Craig Breslowwith whom he had worked in Chicago.
The Cubs finished ninth in ERA last season. The bullpen was particularly strong, ranking fifth in xFIP and sixth in SIERA. Journeyman starter Brad Keller was a crucial part of the late-inning mix, putting together a dominant campaign in his first outing as a reliever. Chicago signed Keller as a minor league free agent in January. Zombro took credit for the move, according to Sharma. Keller posted an excellent ERA of 2.07 with more than one strikeout per inning in 68 appearances. The righty has attracted widespread interest as a free agent, with some teams reportedly considering him as a starter.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images
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