Prior Signs one year deal

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-070131cubsprior,1,7224158.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

Edited to add: According to SI.com, Prior took a pay cut and will reportedly make $3.575 million in '07. If he reaches some incentives, the right-hander could also make an additional $300,000.

Edited January 31, 2007 by Dirt Dog Sparly

[CP_414]

Good.

 

Now lock up Z. Long-term.

[wade]

Well, this will mean no potentially cantankerous hearing. I'll bet they pretty much split the middle on each one's numbers.

 

Damn I hope he's healthy this year.

[NoDak]

Well, this will mean no potentially cantankerous hearing. I'll bet they pretty much split the middle on each one's numbers.

 

Damn I hope he's healthy this year.

 

I may misunderstand it, but I think the arbitrator has to pick one or the other rather than "split the middle" of the two offers. One wins; the other loses.

[WindyCity]

Well, this will mean no potentially cantankerous hearing. I'll bet they pretty much split the middle on each one's numbers.

 

Damn I hope he's healthy this year.

 

I may misunderstand it, but I think the arbitrator has to pick one or the other rather than "split the middle" of the two offers. One wins; the other loses.

 

If it had gone to an arbitrator, that is correct -- the arbitrator would choose between either offer only. However, I believe wade just meant that the Cubs and Prior agreed to split the difference on a 1-year deal rather than go to arbitration.

[Garwilly]

Well, this will mean no potentially cantankerous hearing. I'll bet they pretty much split the middle on each one's numbers.

 

Damn I hope he's healthy this year.

 

I may misunderstand it, but I think the arbitrator has to pick one or the other rather than "split the middle" of the two offers. One wins; the other loses.

You understand the process correctly, but this was done BEFORE the hearing. Prior and the Cubs reached a deal before getting to the ARB table, as such, they can agree to whatever they like.

[NCCubFan]

No surprise that they agreed to terms before a hearing. The Cubs have never had a case go to an actual hearing during the MacPhail/Hendry era, and I can't think of any reason why this year would be any different.

[photoguy9883]

No surprise that they agreed to terms before a hearing. The Cubs have never had a case go to an actual hearing during the MacPhail/Hendry era, and I can't think of any reason why this year would be any different.

 

Did Lynch ever go to arbitration with a player?

I was thinking that MacPhail had never gone to arbitration as a GM or President (which would go back to his days with the Twins I believe).

[OBPMatters]

Via Rotoworld:

Cubs agreed to terms with RHP Mark Prior on a one-year, $3.575 million contract.

 

He's taking a small cut in pay. Prior asked for a raise from $3.65 million to $3.875 million in his second year of arbitration. The Cubs offered him $3.4 million. Prior will contend for a rotation spot this spring after spending the winter attempting to strengthen his right shoulder.

[ChiCubsFan]

Via Rotoworld:

Cubs agreed to terms with RHP Mark Prior on a one-year, $3.575 million contract.

 

He's taking a small cut in pay. Prior asked for a raise from $3.65 million to $3.875 million in his second year of arbitration. The Cubs offered him $3.4 million. Prior will contend for a rotation spot this spring after spending the winter attempting to strengthen his right shoulder.

 

Nice...

[Omar]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

[TB_11]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

[Omar]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

[A New Era]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

because he needs to prove healthy.

[Omar]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

because he needs to prove healthy.

 

I'm confused. If he's pitching, doesn't that prove he's healthy? So why does he need to contend for a spot in the rotation if he can pitch?

[CubColtPacer]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

because he needs to prove healthy.

 

I'm confused. If he's pitching, doesn't that prove he's healthy? So why does he need to contend for a spot in the rotation if he can pitch?

 

He pitched last year-9 starts. He wasn't healthy enough to be effective though, and had a 7.21 ERA. He has to prove that he was healthier then he was last year, not to be able to just pitch but to actually be effective doing so.

[CubsInNC]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

because he needs to prove healthy.

 

I'm confused. If he's pitching, doesn't that prove he's healthy? So why does he need to contend for a spot in the rotation if he can pitch?

 

All he's really doing right now is "throwing off the mound." That's not really pitching. That's more like long-term arm loosening, I believe, rather than bearing down 95mph fastballs.

[wade]

Via Rotoworld:

Cubs agreed to terms with RHP Mark Prior on a one-year, $3.575 million contract.

 

He's taking a small cut in pay. Prior asked for a raise from $3.65 million to $3.875 million in his second year of arbitration. The Cubs offered him $3.4 million. Prior will contend for a rotation spot this spring after spending the winter attempting to strengthen his right shoulder.

 

Hey, I was right, they split the difference! :wink:

 

I fear Zambrano won't be so easy, but as others have said, Hendry has repeatedly signed guys heading into their last year of arby a one year deal with the idea of extending before the season.

[Mephistopheles]

All he's really doing right now is "throwing off the mound." That's not really pitching. That's more like long-term arm loosening, I believe, rather than bearing down 95mph fastballs.

 

 

and to supplement your comments:

 

Matt (Houston): Over/Under on Mark Prior starts this season - 17. Also, are there any rumblings about how his bullpen sessions are going?

 

Will Carroll: I'd set it slightly lower -- 14. They're going well, but my people tell me he's throwing without confidence. It's way, way too early to tell.

[Backtobanks]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

this is the first year that the Cubs didn't have Prior "penciled" into the rotation. If he's healthy and pitches like he's capable of pitching, he not only has a spot in the rotation, but probably the #2 spot.

[Amazing_Grace]

Why is Prior contending for a rotation spot?

 

Because when healthy he's a very good pitcher.

 

But if he's healthy.. doesn't he already have a spot in the rotation.. why does he need to contend?

 

because he needs to prove healthy.

 

I'm confused. If he's pitching, doesn't that prove he's healthy? So why does he need to contend for a spot in the rotation if he can pitch?

 

Guys coming back from injury are usually not as effective as they were before their injury, for several months or even a season or two. Some guys never get back to where they were before the injury. Prior has had several injuries causing him to miss parts of the last 3 seasons including most of 2004 and 2006. His 2005 was good but not as dominant as he was in 2003 before the first injury (the Giles collision). The few starts he made in 2006 were still worse, and revealed yet another injury.

 

Even if he's "good as new" with regards to his health, which we all know won't be the case, we're still talking about a guy that hasn't pitched a full season since 2003. There will be, at the very least, a lot of rust to knock off. He has to compete for a spot because he will probably be pitching considerably worse than 2003 or 2005 simply due to not pitching regularly for a long time. If you have an ERA of 7.00 and a WHIP over 1.60 right now, it really doesn't matter how good you used to be. Assuming Prior's healthy enough to pitch at all, I see him starting the season and playing at least a couple months in AAA just so he can get his mechanics right again and get used to pitching regularly in an environment where there isn't a lot of pressure on him to be an ace pitcher right away.

[A New Era]

I think the point is Omar, to prove you are healthy, you have to be pitching in spring training, progressing the same as the other pitchers (IE 1 inning, next time 2 innings, next time 3 or 4) and throwing your pitches effectively and without any noticable pain or discomfort during and after your performance. .

[Ding Dong Johnson]

If he's healthy and pitches like he's capable of pitching, he not only has a spot in the rotation, but probably the #2 spot.

 

He'd be a #1.

[Banedon]

If he's healthy and pitches like he's capable of pitching, he not only has a spot in the rotation, but probably the #2 spot.

 

He'd be a #1.

 

I think it'd be tough to take the #1 spot from Zambrano, but damn would that be a problem I'd like to have.

[Wilmo]

Via Rotoworld:

Cubs agreed to terms with RHP Mark Prior on a one-year, $3.575 million contract.

 

He's taking a small cut in pay. Prior asked for a raise from $3.65 million to $3.875 million in his second year of arbitration. The Cubs offered him $3.4 million. Prior will contend for a rotation spot this spring after spending the winter attempting to strengthen his right shoulder.

 

Here's to Mark being the most underpaid pitcher in baseball in 07'. (Due to his overwhelming success of course)

 

Another thought -

We better lock up Big Z before this season, because if Prior does return to form, locking up both of them next offseason would be close to impossible.