"He has become the Cub with nine lives.

After a Monday afternoon meeting with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, Carlos Zambrano will "have the right to earn his way back to being a Cub."

That's what Epstein said as he arrived late Monday night at the general managers meetings here, putting any trade talk for Zambrano on hold after having lunch with Zambrano, agent Barry Praver and Cubs farm director Oneri Fleita."