Shocking if Prior WASN'T non-tendered this winter?

[CubinNY]

I think it's basic economics. He has to atleast make 80% of what he made this year. That is likely to be more than the Cubs are willing to pay him.

 

Another team can sign him to a much more "team friendly" deal.

 

Anyway, I don't think the Cubs care much for Prior and I'm not sure how much Prior cares for the Cubs.

 

Maybe the divorce will be amicable.

 

If he comes back for another team and has success I can see him becoming a most hated former Cubs. I won't hate him though. I think he's been treated rather poorly.

[Banedon]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

[CubinNY]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

Pitcher abuse, then the entire "soft" thing by members in the media that the Cubs did nothing to disuade.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

[XZero771679666304]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

 

Yeah, Prior has kind of gotten the shaft. One would think there would be a lot of crow being eaten by those who questioned his manhood, but it hasn't seemed to happen.

[davearm]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

That's a highly disingenuous characterization of the situation.

 

It was the doctors and the medical reports that were saying there's nothing wrong with Prior. And as I recall, that includes Prior's own doctor(s), whom he consulted with on his own.

 

The Cubs were simply passing along those findings to the media when asked.

 

The simple fact is that whatever serious problems existed (and when they existed) were a mystery to everyone until this spring -- Prior and his personal doctor(s) included.

[CubColtPacer]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

 

I agree with most of that, but weren't the Cubs recommending surgery a couple of years ago and Prior decided to go with other treatment options? I also don't recall the Cubs ever saying something like "There's nothing wrong with him, he just needs to go out there and pitch". They kept silent when the media attacked Prior because there was nothing to report. What were they supposed to say? There was an injury, they didn't know what it was, and they didn't know how long it would last. That's about all anyone knew.

[Guest]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

That's a highly disingenuous characterization of the situation.

 

It was the doctors and the medical reports that were saying there's nothing wrong with Prior. And as I recall, that includes Prior's own doctor(s), whom he consulted with on his own.

 

The Cubs were simply passing along those findings to the media when asked.

 

The simple fact is that whatever serious problems existed (and when they existed) were a mystery to everyone until this spring -- Prior and his personal doctor(s) included.

 

The surgery he had this season was for injuries that were built up over the past few years, certainly indicating that those previous reports were at least somewhat wrong.

[RynoRules]

Does anyone even know what is going on with Prior right now?

[davearm]

I think he's been treated rather poorly.

 

How so?

 

First and foremost, negligent usage by an inept manager that most likely led to some of his injuries.

 

Secondly, the Cubs have more or less played along with the crowd who believes Prior is a wuss who isn't man enough to pitch through pain. They repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with him, when in fact, it turns out there was some serious problems.

That's a highly disingenuous characterization of the situation.

 

It was the doctors and the medical reports that were saying there's nothing wrong with Prior. And as I recall, that includes Prior's own doctor(s), whom he consulted with on his own.

 

The Cubs were simply passing along those findings to the media when asked.

 

The simple fact is that whatever serious problems existed (and when they existed) were a mystery to everyone until this spring -- Prior and his personal doctor(s) included.

 

The surgery he had this season was for injuries that were built up over the past few years, certainly indicating that those previous reports were at least somewhat wrong.

Well there seems to be much uncertainty as to whether the injuries that were discovered this spring were there in the past and just missed, or represent recently-sustained damage.

 

Regardless, if the previous reports were wrong, then that's on the doctors (including Prior's own), not the Cubs.

 

It's not as though Jim Hendry is standing in front of reporters discussing the findings of his own personal examination of Prior's arm. "The Cubs" are just the messenger here.

[Lefty]

I was reading along Stark's recent column, when I came to a bit about Mark Prior:

 

You won't find Prior on any current free-agent list. But it would be a shock if the Cubs didn't nontender him. And that makes him yet another intriguing dice roll in this free-agent craps game. Who knows what his stuff will look like after shoulder surgery. But at 27, he'll at least be a seductive name, if not a productive arm.

 

"I really don't know where he's at," said one assistant GM. "But given the amount of money he'd make if he was tendered, I'd say it's a safe bet he will be out there."

 

That is interesting. I thought that the consensus around here was that the Cubs would surely keep him after his surgery to see what he still has. Is there a chance that Prior will get non-tendered? My theory is that we've thrown enough money his way, we might as well do it for one more year and see what he has got.

 

No. I wrote months ago here that he would be non-tendered and took some guff. It's a shame all those old threads are locked. I don't want to go through my impeccable reasoning again.

[NCCubFan]

It's a shame all those old threads are locked. I don't want to go through my impeccable reasoning again.

You can still post links to old threads so people can go back and reread them.

[Lefty]

It's a shame all those old threads are locked. I don't want to go through my impeccable reasoning again.

You can still post links to old threads so people can go back and reread them.

 

OK I'll do it after I Shop-Vac my basement. But the Cubs will non-tender Prior.

[UMFan83]

Stark continued in his recent chat:

 

Do you see the Cubs keeping Prior under any circumstances? Could they non-tender and re-sign at a lower price? Or is the thinking around Wrigley they are better off without him? Like Harden, Prior has enough potential to come back and haunt you. And if any team is haunted, the Cubs are it.

 

Jayson Stark

I can predict, with 99 percent certainty, that he'll get nontendered. And I'd bet there would be enough interest from other clubs that it wouldn't work for either side for him to come back. But it's going to be a strange winter on the pitching market. So nothing is impossible.

[Tedward]

Stark continued in his recent chat:

 

Do you see the Cubs keeping Prior under any circumstances? Could they non-tender and re-sign at a lower price? Or is the thinking around Wrigley they are better off without him? Like Harden, Prior has enough potential to come back and haunt you. And if any team is haunted, the Cubs are it.

 

Jayson Stark

I can predict, with 99 percent certainty, that he'll get nontendered. And I'd bet there would be enough interest from other clubs that it wouldn't work for either side for him to come back. But it's going to be a strange winter on the pitching market. So nothing is impossible.

 

It's interesting to see Stark's tidbit, in contrast to what Bruce had to say in his article on Prior over this past weekend...

 

He is arbitration-eligible this winter, and the Cubs likely will tender him a contract. If Prior is on a major-league roster all of next year, he will have enough service time to become a free agent in the fall of '08

 

I'm not sure where both guys are getting their information.....Is it their own opinion's or if they have talked with "people in the know". It will be interesting to see what actually does happen.

[Magnetic Curses]

Stark continued in his recent chat:

 

Do you see the Cubs keeping Prior under any circumstances? Could they non-tender and re-sign at a lower price? Or is the thinking around Wrigley they are better off without him? Like Harden, Prior has enough potential to come back and haunt you. And if any team is haunted, the Cubs are it.

 

Jayson Stark

I can predict, with 99 percent certainty, that he'll get nontendered. And I'd bet there would be enough interest from other clubs that it wouldn't work for either side for him to come back. But it's going to be a strange winter on the pitching market. So nothing is impossible.

 

It's interesting to see Stark's tidbit, in contrast to what Bruce had to say in his article on Prior over this past weekend...

 

He is arbitration-eligible this winter, and the Cubs likely will tender him a contract. If Prior is on a major-league roster all of next year, he will have enough service time to become a free agent in the fall of '08

 

I'm not sure where both guys are getting their information.....Is it their own opinion's or if they have talked with "people in the know". It will be interesting to see what actually does happen.

 

i would imagine that bruce is a bit closer to the cubs than stark is. it's likely stark hasn't set foot in wrigley all year--so his opinion is probably rumor.

[abuck1220]

if the cubs can waste $2.5 mil on blanco and the like, they can waste a few million on prior. same goes with wood.

[biittner77]

if the cubs can waste $2.5 mil on blanco and the like, they can waste a few million on prior. same goes with wood.

 

If the Cubs hadn't wasted 2.5 million on Blanco they wouldn't think twice about keeping Prior. Wood is a tougher case since he's unlikely to ever return to the rotation. If Hendry is still around he'll keep both since he'd look even worse if either or both were effective somewhere else.

 

In the words of Joe Morgan, I don't know what the new GM will do because I haven't seen him GM yet.