Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates on a possible Carlos Zambrano starting/relief pitcher of the Chicago Cubs for San Francisco Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand. Warning: this is pure speculation and there is no evidence of this taking place.

When quantifying the deal through salary, this is what Schulman came up with:

Zambrano is still owed about $45 million of the five-year, $91.5 million deal he signed before the 2008 season, while the Giants owe Rowand about $30 million from his five-year, $60 million deal. I imagine the Giants would want the Cubs to throw in half the difference, $7.5 million, to equalize the money, and they might not want to do it.

Schulman’s basis for trading the two player is the possible upside of a change in scenery. He says that Zambrano has burned one too many bridges in Chicago and Rowand could thrive in a better hitters’ park in a city where he won a World Series ring with the Chicago White Sox in 2005.

The big problem is that the Cubs have too many outfielders. So many that they have been trying to trade Kosuke Fukudome. Not counting the last few games, the Giants as a whole have a solid rotation. They could improve in their number five spot, currently occupied by Madison Bumgarner. Adding an outfielder in Chicago and adding a starting pitcher in San Francisco are not the team’s top priorities.

There’s 28 days left before the non-waiver trade deadline. Let’s see if Schulman’s thoughts become reality.