Albert Pujols: Carlos Zambrano's "Retirement" Puts Chicago Cubs Closer to Pujols

Most St. Louis Cardinal fans had a good night Friday. Their hometown team scored five times in the sixth inning to break open a 1-1 tie and keep pace with the front-running Brewers in the N.L. Central. Meanwhile, the rival Cubs got clubbed in Atlanta, 10-4.

But that game may not have turned out good for the Cardinals in the long run. Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, whose temper tantrums and on-field antics have rubbed teammates, coaches and fans the wrong way for years now, allowed a career-high five home runs, including a three-run bomb by Chipper Jones and two solo jobs by Dan Uggla.

When Uggla came up after hitting his first homer, Zambrano plunked him. In the fifth inning, he twice threw tight inside to Jones and was immediately ejected by home-plate umpire Tim Timmons. It may have been the last pitch he'll throw—at least for a while.

According to Cubs manager Mike Quade, Zambrano after getting tossed cleaned out his locker and told some people in the clubhouse that he was retiring.

This affects the Cardinals negatively, since Zambrano's 2012 contract has been a huge impediment to the Cubs going after free-agent-to-be Albert Pujols.

Zambrano is still owed around $4.7 million for the remainder of this season, in which he is 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA, by far the worst mark in his 10-year big-league career. Plus, he is owed $18 million in 2012 in the final year of a five-year, $91.5 million deal he signed in 2008.

Chicago general manager Jim Hendry has been unsuccessful in trying to unload that contract and free up money to spend on new players, including Pujols, who the Cubbies reportedly have circled as their top target this winter.

If Zambrano retires, the Cubs are immediately free of over $22 million. Between Zambrano, Carlos Silva and Ryan Dempster, Chicago is paying out nearly $43 million this season alone. Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez have team options for 2012, each with $2 million buyouts. Ramirez earns $14.6 million this year; Dempster's contract can be prolonged under his option.

Conceivably, those four players could come off the books in the offseason, saving a grand total of around $58 million, roughly half the team's payroll. Plus, first baseman Carlos Pena signed only a one-year deal for $10 million and would certainly be cut loose if the team pursued Pujols.

It's tough of believe that Zambrano would simply walk away when things aren't going his way. Factoring in his prorated contract this season, he is still owed over $22 million.

His time in Chicago has been checkered, feuding with teammates and showing uncontrollable anger at times. He smashed a Gatorade cooler in the dugout, had heated confrontations with Derek Lee and Michael Barrett in separate incidents, and more recently has grown tired of losing, calling the Cubs a "Triple-A team" and "embarrassing."

Teammate Aramis Ramirez believes that despite Zambrano's volatile and destructive nature, he'd be welcomed back to the team.

Cardinal fans better hope Zambrano has a change of heart.