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MIAMI -- Admitting that it was time to move on, Carlos Zambrano said all the right things Tuesday as his new team, the Miami Marlins, was getting ready to face his old one, the Chicago Cubs.

"I left half of my heart over there," said Zambrano, who was traded in January for Chris Volstad and cash considerations. "Chicago was always great to me and I do really appreciate all the attention and the criticism too because that made me get better. Nobody likes to be criticized but Wrigley (Field) was a great place for me.

"The atmosphere of baseball that you have in Wrigley, the passion of the fans is something that you probably don't see in any other ballpark. But it was time to turn the page. I'm here now and I'm in a new place and I'm trying to enjoy the time here. So far I'm doing it."

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ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian predicts that Carlos Zambrano won't win more games than any current Cubs starter.

As Carlos Zambrano enters fresh surroundings, will his poor play the past couple seasons vanish? More importantly, will Zambrano get more wins than any Cubs starter? Our experts address both sides of that questions in this week's Hot Button.

MESA, Ariz. -- In case you're wondering if Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein already has his "Reverse the Curse" game face on, well, he does.

On Saturday -- one day before Cubs pitchers and catchers begin their first official workout, five days before position players report, 15 days before the first spring training game and 47 days before the season opener at Wrigley Field -- Epstein announced, again, that the goal of 2012 Cubs "is to win the World Series."

Yes, and my goal is to need hair gel this year, but that's probably not going to happen either.

Still, Epstein had to say it. What else could he say: "Our goal is to finish ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates"?

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Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Saturday that he’d continue to be supportive of his front office if they thought moving a veteran player would be best for the team’s future.

“First of all, it’s really up to the baseball guys to decide who fits on the team,” Ricketts said at the Cubs Convention. “If there is a player they think doesn’t fit and they think it’s better for the team to move him, then I’ll support it 100%, even if that means eating some salary.”

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CARACAS, Venezuela -- Carlos Zambrano is excited about the trade that sent him from the Chicago Cubs to the Miami Marlins, expressing confidence that it will rejuvenate his career.

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The Chicago Cubs traded disgruntled pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

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1. Theo Epstein hired: In a franchise-altering decision, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts decided to create a new position, president of baseball operations, in order to interview and hire Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. Epstein, who had one year left on his Boston contract, was allowed to interview because the job being offered was above a GM description. Epstein was given a five-year deal that pays him $3.5 million a year, believed to be the highest annual average salary paid to any top baseball official. Epstein immediately hired Jed Hoyer as GM, doubling his salary to $1.2 million, according to industry sources.

2. Santo inducted into Hall: Almost one year to the day after his death, Ron Santo was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 94 percent of the vote from the veterans committee. The former third baseman and broadcaster had been passed over by the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 15 years and the veteran's committee another 10. He became the 47th player to wear a Cubs uniform enshrined into Cooperstown. Santo hit .277 with 342 home runs and 1,333 RBIs in a 15-year career. He called Cubs games as the radio analyst for 21 seasons until his death in 2010.

3. Cubs fire Hendry and Quade: After a second straight fifth-place finish, Hendry was fired on July 23 but was asked to stay on the job to complete the signing of the June draft choices and oversee trade deadline responsibilities. Hendry traded Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians three days before the deadline. In nine seasons as Cubs GM, Hendry orchestrated three playoff teams and hired two celebrity managers in Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella, who both managed four seasons. In October 2010, Hendry removed the interim tag on Mike Quade and gave him a two-year contract. Epstein fired Quade in late October, and hired Dale Sveum. Under Hendry, the Cubs went to the playoffs in two straight seasons for the first time in 100 years only to go three and out in the 2007 and 2008 division series. Escalating salaries and abject failures in the signings of Fukudome and Milton Bradley eventually sealed Hendry's fate.

4. Castro's emergence: With 207 hits, Starlin Castro became the youngest player to not only lead the NL in hits but also the youngest player in Cubs history to make a NL All-Star team. Castro became only the fifth player in All-Star history to steal two bases in an All-Star Game. He led the league in at-bats (674) and also led NL shortstops in errors with 29, playing 158 out of 162 games. Castro also had five hitting streaks of 10 games or more. He came under fire for having his back turned to home plate as a pitch was thrown during a nationally-televised game in August. The mistake was noted by an ESPN producer and relayed to Bobby Valentine, becoming national news.

5. Zambrano quits the team: The always unpredictable pitcher walked out of the clubhouse and announced to team personnel that he was quitting baseball after an embarrassing performance in Atlanta on Aug. 12. Zambrano gave up a Cubs-record five home runs in 4 1/3 innings before being ejected for throwing inside on Chipper Jones twice in the same at-bat. After storming out of the clubhouse, Zambrano was put on the disqualified list and never pitched again for the Cubs in 2011. Epstein met with Zambrano and agent Barry Praver on Nov. 15 and told him if he worked hard in winter ball he would have a chance to re-build his career and his relationship with his teammates in 2012. Zambrano received 19 stitches after taking a line drive off his mouth in his third start in Venezuela in November.

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein met with the media on Thursday and discussed a number of subjects as he prepares for the winter meetings which begin Monday in Dallas.

On the winter meetings: "It's one of the few times all 30 clubs are meeting and actually engaged and talking trades which is nice. There's a perception that a general manager or club president are always on the phone talking trade, but it really doesn't happen that often. You have to seize those opportunities at the GM meetings, the winter meetings and the trading deadline. I'll be honest with you, you won't see me a lot in that [hotel] lobby. I just don't like that scene in the lobby."

On potential for trades at winter meeting: "I'd just be guessing. Right now there is a fair amount of chatter. Not necessarily with us but a lot of other clubs. That usually means there will be some moves at the winter meetings. I'd be surprised if there weren't a couple of significant moves out there."

On free agency and the new collective bargaining agreement: "I still believe we are going to build this around young players. Free agency should never be the primary way that you rely upon to build the club. I think if you set out to build a foundation based on free agency you have a tough road ahead of you. Free agency is a complementary resource to round out your big-league club and use at the right time to sign impact players."

On manager Dale Sveum's staff: "We are getting there. We should have some announcements in Dallas or shortly thereafter."

On biggest offseason need: "We need starting pitching. You can't just take your chances of being looked at seriously as a club with just five guys. You have to point to six, seven or eight guys. And you'd better know who your ninth starter would be because you are going to need him. We are going to have to build our starting pitching staff. We don't have a ton of depth and that's a priority."

On the type of players he's looking for: "Adding a left-handed bat would be nice. But under the right circumstances. We are not going to force anything. We'll look for a well-rounded position player to contribute on defense and maybe run the bases. If that happens to be a left-handed bat, yes. David [DeJesus, signed Wednesday to a two-year deal] is a good example of that. He does those things well. And those are things as a club that we don't do well. The most obvious ways to improve is to look at your weaknesses and try to turn them into a strength."

On Carlos Zambrano: "He's healing pretty well, but I just don't want to put a timetable on [when he will pitch again in winter ball in Venezuela after he was hit by a line drive]. There's a reasonable chance once he's healed and throws a couple of pens that he will be out there relatively soon."

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AP Photo/Gregory BullYoenis Cespedes, 26, played for Cuba during the World Baseball Classic in 2009.

On his trip to the Dominican Republic to watch Cuban outfielders Yoennis Cespedes and Jorge Soler: "It was a nice trip. We were scouting some players that might become available. There are still some steps and obstacles to be cleared before they become eligible free agents. I can't comment on these guys specifically, but what I can tell is I did visit our academy and what we heard about it is true. It's a really well-run operation."

On Matt Garza: "He's exactly the kind of guy that we would like to build around."

On the White Sox as possible trade partner: "We are not in any position to exclude any team. That's because we have a long way to go. There's a big gap between where we are now and where we want to be."

On chances of Jeff Samardzija and Andrew Cashner moving to rotation: "We like both guys a lot. There is some flexibility there with their roles. We've had some discussions internally about them. I've communicated with one of those guys but not both. I do see both guys being very valuable pieces to the picture. I was encouraged by Cashner's performance in [the Arizona Fall League]. It was demonstrated by his health. I was very encouraged by Samardzija's performances in the second half. Just by watching him from afar it seemed that the light turned on and that he turned the developmental corner, physically, mentally and fundamentally. The look that he had on the mound was much different."

On the possibility of Sean Marshall starting: "If you have the best left-handed reliever in baseball it's tough to take him out of that role."

On HGH testing in the new CBA: "I don't think it [affects how they look at players]. We have to look at each player on a case-by-case basis. We do our background work as we always have. I don't think we engage in any contract situation with a player, new rules or old rules, without doing it the right way."

Kerry Wood said if volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano wants to be welcomed back by Chicago Cubs players he will have to "do it the right way."

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Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts met with reporters on Tuesday and touched on a variety of subjects.

On going after a big-ticket free agents: "Like I've always said, there is one person making decisions and one person accountable for those results [president of baseball operations Theo Epstein] so if he believes strongly that's in the best interest of the team he has my support."

On the new collective bargaining agreement and cap on draft spending: "People knew this was an issue that would be discussed in the new CBA. I was personally surprised how far it went. I thought there would be some changes [to the draft] but it's a big shift, a bigger shift than expected. So we knew it was a possibility this would come in but it's Theo and [general manager] Jed's [Hoyer] decision how to allocate the money. But it will have an effect because they will only have a certain amount of dollars to allocate for the draft."

On the Cubs' 2012 baseball budget: "I think it will be comparable to 2011. Our economics are about the same as last year. Nothing has really changed dramatically on that front.

On a Carlos Zambrano return: "What Theo said publicly is that he would give Carlos a chance to earn his way back on to the team. It's Theo's decision, and I support it 100 percent. We will let things develop over the next few months and hopefully that gets back to a place that works for everybody."

On Wrigley renovation and ticket tax relief: "There is nothing really too dramatic to report on the stadium issue. We are still talking to all the elected officials that might have a role in helping us to really get a real renovation done. It's incumbent on everybody, and it's a real win-win in that it allows us to get the dollars in the pot to really renovate it. That's really meaningful for the long term. But right now there is nothing concrete at this point. Every level of government is behind the eight ball so you have to be sensitive to the issues they've got on their own budgets and balance sheets."

On meeting with new manager Dale Sveum for the first time: "We met in Milwaukee and had a couple of beers. We just talked for awhile. There was no litmus test question that I wanted to hear answered. I would be supportive of what the baseball guys wanted. I just thought it was a good idea to sit down with him and talk to him a little bit. I was very impressed. When you talk baseball with him he has a real deep understanding and looks at things very thoughtfully. I think this will be a great fit for us."

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AP Photo/Charles Rex ArbogastRicketts knew quickly that his GM search would start and end with Theo Epstein.

On hiring Epstein: After we parted company with [former GM] Jim [Hendry] we took a couple of analysts [Ari Kaplan and Steve Walters]. We asked them to analyze the teams in terms of records and how they won. We wanted to know how many dollars they spent in getting those wins and also how they developed players and the number of players they produced that are bona fide prospects. While they worked on that I made about 20 calls to owners, agents and asked them who would they want if they were hiring a general manager. At the end of the process, Theo's name just kept coming up, and it was the obvious choice for us. I talked to a lot of people during the process but as far as interviewing for the GM job, it was one stop. I interviewed Theo. At the end of August and September, Theo was the first choice. If he wasn't available we would have moved on to other names on the list."

On why he gave Epstein a president title: "I did see that he had a comment to one of the papers in August about someday moving on and wanting a bigger title. So I said to myself, 'You know what? That makes sense to make him president of baseball [operations]. Everything would flow up to him. He could build his own team beneath him so I was comfortable with that. It made sense for us to make an overture for him to be president. It's a promotion."

On gauging Epstein's availability with Boston: That was the biggest risk because you have to make a phone call before you know. We asked the Red Sox for permission, but they could have just said no. But it was my gut that after everything he had accomplished in Boston [the Cubs job] would be the next great challenge for him. Within a few minutes of talking to him I felt this was the right guy for us. Obviously the track record is terrific. The recommendations of people from the industry were terrific. I just wanted to make sure as a person he was someone I could work with. And you can kind of tell in a short period of time when he came in he was very low key. Very thoughtful, very team-oriented. All the things I thought would be great for us in building a great baseball culture, so it all kind of fit."

On the status of compensation with Boston for Epstein: "It's my understanding that those kind of compensation issues are typically resolved in the future. I don't think we did anything out of the ordinary."

On Ryne Sandberg's place in the organization: Ryne will always be a Cub. He will always be welcome to all of our events. He will always be a part of the Cub family. I don't think anything that's happening right now will change that."

On Ron Santo's possible induction to the Hall of Fame: Ron belongs in the Hall of Fame. We will do everything we can to get the message out to the people who make the decision. We are hopeful that they will see it that way this weekend [a 16-man committee comprised of Hall of Famers, executives and media will vote on the Golden Era ballot. Santo is one of 10 on the ballot. An announcement will come on Dec. 5 if any of the players get at least 75 percent of the vote.]

On winning in 2012: "Of course we can win in 2012. If you get 25 guys working hard and staying healthy, baseball tells you anything can happen. We will see how the offseason goes. I imagine we will be right in it next year."

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano was injured pitching in a game in Venezuela on Friday night.

Zambrano was hit in the head by a line drive and sustained soft tissue damage, according to a major league source. The Cubs pitcher is slated to undergo more tests in the coming days.

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CHICAGO -- New Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum will try to accomplish what no previous team executive or manager has been able to do: Help control pitcher Carlos Zambrano's on-field outbursts.

"You sit down with Zambrano face to face," said Sveum after his introductory news conference Friday at Wrigley Field. "I don't really know the guy so I can't really answer all these questions, but we all know his nine strikes are up. But after talking with [president of baseball operations] Theo [Epstein], I think [Zambrano] realizes it, and he knows it. He knows that he has to win back the respect of the players as well as management."

Epstein said on Monday after meeting with Zambrano in person that if the pitcher passes several rigid tests and works hard on his conditioning that Zambrano could be welcomed back to the team. Zambrano, who was put on the disqualified list on Aug. 12 for 30 days and was restored to the 40-man roster after the season, has one year remaining on the five-year $91 million extension that he signed in 2008.

"At some point we will sit down and talk whether it's over the phone or hopefully face to face," Sveum said. "A lot of times you don't know what type of situation you have to handle. But you have to get a grip on the guy and try to understand where he's coming from because he's out of strikes."

Zambrano is 13-10 lifetime against the Brewers with a 3.81 ERA. Sveum has watched many of those games as a coach in Milwaukee for the past six seasons.

"You really have to know what is inside a person," Sveum said. "I've seen stuff from the other side of the dugout over the years. As I said, his three strikes are up. He definitely has to prove his willingness to gain respect back from his teammates as well as myself, Theo and the Ricketts family."

How does Sveum expect to help a player stay under control on the field who has consistently self combusted over the years?

"That's been the million dollar question for everybody," Sveum said. "As I said before, I have to sit down with him and look him in the eye and talk to him straight on. We have to see if we can cut down on those kinds of tantrums, or whatever you want to call them, down to nothing."

Sveum has seen Zambrano at his best and knows what kind of impact he can have.

"He's one heck of a pitcher," Sveum said. "I wasn't a very good hitting coach when he pitched against us."

MILWAUKEE – Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein met face-to-face with Carlos Zambrano on Monday afternoon and said the starter will get a chance to return to the team in 2012.

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If the Chicago Cubs are willing to eat Carlos Zambrano's contract, they might have one taker.

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