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Report: Royals Interested in Zambrano

(WSCR) According to a report, the Royals would be interested in acquiring Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano if the team decides to shop the veteran right-hander.

"We would have to be interested," Royals GM Dayton Moore told Mark Carman of 610 Sports in Kansas City. "We would have to explore it because that's what you should do. You should explore every opportunity. Carlos Zambrano is a heckuva competitor.  Carlos Zambrano has had a lot of success in the major leagues. Carlos Zambrano is actually a very pleasant, easy going, classy person off the field. Sometimes, as with all of us the competitiveness takes over and brings out qualities in us that we are not proud of. Obviously the Cubs grew tired of some of his outbursts but I believe in our coaching staff and we'll always take a chance and a risk on certain players. We'll see how that particular situation unfolds."

Zambrano, who owns full no-trade rights, is owed $18 million in 2012, with an automatic $19-million option for 2012 if he finishes in the top four in Cy Young Award voting.

LISTEN: Dayton Moore Talks About Zambrano On 610 Sports In Kansas City

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"He has a no-trade clause for 29 other teams so he is going to have to be comfortable wherever he goes and there is a lot of money attached to his deal," Moore said. "There is a vesting option that is a part of that worth $18 or 19 million going forward. We certainly wouldn't want to put ourselves in a position where we have to honor a contract of that nature."

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