Carlos Zambrano likely will begin the 2007 season without a new five-year contract. This was his stated deadline for completing a deal with the Cubs -- or he had threatened to file for free agency at the end of the season. With face-to-face talks between general manager Jim Hendry and agent Barry Praver set to resume this morning in Cincinnati, sources indicated progress has been made -- and negotiations have remained positive -- but closure on a complicated deal might not be completed before Zambrano's stated deadline. That doesn't mean a deal won't be completed beyond the deadline, sources stressed Saturday before the Cubs boarded their flight from Las Vegas to Cincinnati. Zambrano had been willing to openly discuss the talks that have heated up in the last two weeks, stressing his deadline during a session with reporters Thursday: ''I say Opening Day, and that's it.''