Wood and Prior

[Keener98]

Whats funny is Hendry and the Cubs staff put themselves in this situation. They waited what, 2 years, before actually going all out on trying to find out what was wrong with Prior? I think its amazing that he kept saying he was hurt, you could tell he was hurt, but the Cubs wait till middle of last year to get an MRI, and find out what exactly was wrong with Mark. If they would have went in and done the exploratory surgery say 6 months after the 1st time Prior said he was hurting Hendry and the Cubs wouldnt be in this situation. Instead they acted like Prior wasnt really hurt, kept rehabbing him, instead of finding out what was actually wrong.

 

According to reports I read over the years, the Cubs recommended surgery on a couple of occasions. Prior was the one who chose to try to go the non-surgical route in hopes of getting back faster.

 

I dont remember that at all. And even so, thats fine after the first 6 months go by, but after that the Cubs could have, and should have said surgery time, no more wasting time.

 

The Cubs don't have the right to say that. They can't force the player to have surgery. If they want to cut him because he refuses to have surgery, that's their right, but a club cannot do more than recommend that a player goes under the knife. Should the Cubs have told Prior that he was either going to have surgery or they were releasing him? IMO, no. That would have been way too drastic, and there would be some legal issues I think even with a threat like that.

 

Well they stuck with what they were doing way too long. Rehab, towel drill, rehab, simulated game, towel drill, rehab, etc. etc etc. At some point before 2 years, you need to do something different.

[Mizzou]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

[Keener98]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

 

Hendry has pissed away alot more money on alot worse players.

[Mizzou]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

 

Hendry has pissed away alot more money on alot worse players.

So? That makes it okay to piss away more money? Just cause he's screwed up in the past doesn't mean it's okay for him to screw up again.

[Keener98]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

 

Hendry has pissed away alot more money on alot worse players.

So? That makes it okay to piss away more money? Just cause he's screwed up in the past doesn't mean it's okay for him to screw up again.

 

Im saying that spending a few million on a guy with Priors upside isnt really pissing money away, when you have pissed away money on players with no upside before.

[Mizzou]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

 

Hendry has pissed away alot more money on alot worse players.

So? That makes it okay to piss away more money? Just cause he's screwed up in the past doesn't mean it's okay for him to screw up again.

 

Im saying that spending a few million on a guy with Priors upside isnt really pissing money away, when you have pissed away money on players with no upside before.

It is if you're spending it on 2008, and 2008 only. I absolutely want Prior resigned. However, since we're going to be funding his rehab, the very least he could do is agree to a club option in 2009. Otherwise, what's the point of paying Prior to rehab in '08 and then have him walk once the season is over?

[Sarcastic]

I'm more of a Mark Prior fan than most people on this board, but if he's unwilling to agree to a team option for 2009, then letting him walk is the right move. There's no point in pissing more money away on him so he can rehab, only to have him come back, pitch well, then bolt out of town as quickly as possible.

 

With that said, I really hope that the two sides can work something out. I don't want to see Prior pitching for another team.

 

Hendry has pissed away alot more money on alot worse players.

So? That makes it okay to piss away more money? Just cause he's screwed up in the past doesn't mean it's okay for him to screw up again.

 

Im saying that spending a few million on a guy with Priors upside isnt really pissing money away, when you have pissed away money on players with no upside before.

It is if you're spending it on 2008, and 2008 only. I absolutely want Prior resigned. However, since we're going to be funding his rehab, the very least he could do is agree to a club option in 2009. Otherwise, what's the point of paying Prior to rehab in '08 and then have him walk once the season is over?

 

2008 is not a rehab only year. The incredibly vague news we have heard from the organization so far was that he was ahead of schedule and hoping to be back early next year. I think it is very possible that he will be back early in the year, and also quite possible that he will need longer to rehab than that. If he spends all of next year rehabbing, then something additional went wrong, and it is time to cut him. But his 2008 paycheck is not being written just to rehab, as a couple posters here have asserted without any evidence.

 

An important thing to remember here is that an '08 only contract does not guarantee that Prior will bolt. The best thing to do would be to lock him up with a team option for '09, of course, but he could still be resigned. My guess is that even if he does come back, he won't be at 100% effectiveness, and might be willing to sign a short term contract to play for a bigger deal afterwards.

 

In any case, unless Hendry has good info that Prior will seek to leave after '08, or that he won't be able to pitch until '09, it is worth keeping him on to see what upside he has left, now that he has had his surgery.

[Peoriaman]

If that is truly Hendry's stance, I don't think it is unreasonable.

 

Don't take that as a vote of confidence in hendry as an overall GM, but I think most GM's would offer the same kind of deal in this instance.

 

 

nail meet head.

[neely crenshaw]

I agree with the idea...also I have a little more faith that maybe prior will be back to form because they found he did have an injury. it certainly makes more sense than spending two years saying nothing is wrong but his mph just dropped to 84-85...

I know there is not much loyalty but you could easily say he owes us something for the money we put in his pocket(cubs and fans)

[MPC]

don't want to start a new thread for this but i think it fits best into a thread about mark prior.

 

The new labor contract allows teams to cut arbitration-eligible players 40 percent, not just the previous 20 percent.

[mdwilla]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

[Butterscup1679666578]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

[SouthSideRyan]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

 

He hasn't proven that he can't. If Prior comes back without a loss in velocity, there's still the potential out there to be much better than '04, let alone as good as. If you don't think Prior can get back to '04 form, then go ahead and cut him loose, but I'm of the opinion that this was a guy who's been pitching hurt for the better part of 4 years, and to set him free now that he was actually diagnosed properly is crazy, and frustrating.

[jersey cubs fan]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

 

How does one go about proving they have the ability to return to form? If Mark was already back at that form, he'd be able to sign a 6/100 deal.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

 

He hasn't proven that he can't. If Prior comes back without a loss in velocity, there's still the potential out there to be much better than '04, let alone as good as. If you don't think Prior can get back to '04 form, then go ahead and cut him loose, but I'm of the opinion that this was a guy who's been pitching hurt for the better part of 4 years, and to set him free now that he was actually diagnosed properly is crazy, and frustrating.

 

I'm not saying he can't return to '04 form, but he definitely hasn't shown the ability to do so yet. All we've seen from Prior since '04 is constant injuries and inconsistency and ineffectiveness when he has pitched.

[Sammy Sofa]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

 

He hasn't proven that he can't. If Prior comes back without a loss in velocity, there's still the potential out there to be much better than '04, let alone as good as. If you don't think Prior can get back to '04 form, then go ahead and cut him loose, but I'm of the opinion that this was a guy who's been pitching hurt for the better part of 4 years, and to set him free now that he was actually diagnosed properly is crazy, and frustrating.

 

I'm not saying he can't return to '04 form, but he definitely hasn't shown the ability to do so yet. All we've seen from Prior since '04 is constant injuries and inconsistency and ineffectiveness when he has pitched.

 

Actually, he was pretty effective in 2005 when he wasn't injured, too. 2006 was the only year where he wasn't able to pitch well when he wasn't on the DL.

[Guest]

Number 1 starters don't come cheap I hope the Cubs can get a two year deal done Prior still has the ability to reutrn to 2004 Form.

 

Zambrano

Hill

Prior

Lilly

 

He does? How has he proven that he has the ability to return to 04 form?

 

He hasn't proven that he can't. If Prior comes back without a loss in velocity, there's still the potential out there to be much better than '04, let alone as good as. If you don't think Prior can get back to '04 form, then go ahead and cut him loose, but I'm of the opinion that this was a guy who's been pitching hurt for the better part of 4 years, and to set him free now that he was actually diagnosed properly is crazy, and frustrating.

 

I'm not saying he can't return to '04 form, but he definitely hasn't shown the ability to do so yet. All we've seen from Prior since '04 is constant injuries and inconsistency and ineffectiveness when he has pitched.

 

This is also the first time he's had surgery on his shoulder/arm to fix something. Why not give him the chance to come back? It's not as if he's had multiple surgeries already and still continues to get injured.

[XZero771679666304]

 

This is also the first time he's had surgery on his shoulder/arm to fix something. Why not give him the chance to come back? It's not as if he's had multiple surgeries already and still continues to get injured.

 

 

I'm really hoping he gets tendered and has a shot in 2008. While I'm not counting on anything, I think he might surprise us.