Cubs will allow Prior to walk

[Mizzou]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I highly doubt any quality pitcher in this league would do what Prior's doing. Big market team drafts you, sticks with you, pays you, rehabs you, and then opting out of this situation for a marginal contract upgrade.

 

 

Yes I'm bitter, but then again, I'm a Cubs fan

 

Exactly...Look at Kerry Wood..Loyal, Dedicated guy...Mark Prior...Bottle and bib..

 

Yeah, heaven forbid a guy doesn't have loyalty for as team that fanned rumors of his "wussiness" which ended up delaying a surgery he needed for two years.

 

 

The guy wants more money..for doing what?...Kerry Wood needed the surgery and time too..Came back like a man and said "I love this team and I owe them something" and took way less money..If Prior wants to sabotage the team,The big market team that drafted him, paid his dollars and has been loyal to him,through thick and thin,and then called himself " just an "employee" ..He can take freakin hike..Bottom line, he has hard personal feelings towards the Cubs and does not want to be here..Not anyone in the Cubs orginizations fault.

 

You do realize Kerry Wood took the best contract offered to him this offseason? Neither of them owed the Cubs a thing. And I don't see how Prior wants to sabotage the team.

No he didn't. Kerry had two year deals on the table from other clubs. He showed loyalty to the organization that paid him to do nothing. Prior on the other hand, didn't. Which is fine, not everyone is as great a person as Wood and wants to be a Cub. If Prior doesn't want to be here, screw him.

[TruffleShuffle]

No he didn't. Kerry had two year deals on the table from other clubs. He showed loyalty to the organization that paid him to do nothing. Prior on the other hand, didn't. Which is fine, not everyone is as great a person as Wood and wants to be a Cub. If Prior doesn't want to be here, screw him.

 

yes, if someone goes where they'd be most happy, or where they can make the most money, then they're a terrible person.

[Tyrant]

Not that we can't speculate, but I think this is a really hard situation for us to assess. We weren't on the inside, so we don't know what has happened during the last few years. Maybe the Cubs DID mistreat him. Maybe he really was just a jerk. Maybe he was a bad teammate. Maybe the Cubs have medical info that we don't and know he won't pitch this year. Maybe Mark said there was no way he would come back in 2009.

 

I think it's easy to fault Hendry and the Cubs for a lot of things. But I'm not sure about this one, just because there's no way the public will know the whole story. My guess is that there's probably enough blame for both sides.

[E.J.]

i don't hope that prior dominates the cubs, but i hope he dominates everyone else. i still hope he crafts a HoF career, and the cubs are looked at as the team that nearly ruined his arm with overuse, and jim hendry is the guy that let him get away when all he had to do was offer him a few million to stick around. that'll just add another chapter to the sad, embarrassing history of the chicago cubs.

 

 

Perhaps he didn't want to stick around?

 

I think it's pretty obvious from everything we've heard that he didn't want to stick around. Otherwise, he would have taken the 1-year deal with the team option for a 2nd year. From everything we've heard in the past couple of weeks, it sounded like both sides wanted to move on. Too many of you are letting your emotions get in the way here. Yes, it sucks that Prior won't pitch for the Cubs and that there's a chance he could return to dominance for another team, but this was a business decision. It's difficult to come back from shoulder surgery. The success rate is much lower than that of tommy john surgery. Plus, it usually takes longer to come back from. The Cubs wanted some assurance that Prior would be around after this year since he's probably not going to be ready to pitch until halfway through the season. Prior wouldn't give it to them. The Cubs made the decision to move on. We have to move on as well.

[TruffleShuffle]

i don't hope that prior dominates the cubs, but i hope he dominates everyone else. i still hope he crafts a HoF career, and the cubs are looked at as the team that nearly ruined his arm with overuse, and jim hendry is the guy that let him get away when all he had to do was offer him a few million to stick around. that'll just add another chapter to the sad, embarrassing history of the chicago cubs.

 

 

Perhaps he didn't want to stick around?

 

tough. he was under the control of the cubs through 2008, and they could've kept him around if they wanted him to. during that time, help him with his rehab, let him know you consider him a part of the future. He's going to have to give an honest effort at getting healthy and pitching well, because if he doesn't then he's costing himself money on the free agent market. Maybe he gets healthy around mid-season, throws a few games for the cubs, and finds that he really likes playing with this group of guys, and playing for this manager. Maybe he still wants to leave. Maybe he never gets healthy and his career is basically over. I don't know which it is, but the bottom line is that the Cubs had a guy who for much of his life has been a great pitcher, and they should've done everything possible to keep him in a Cub uniform. Especially since he just got surgery that may go a long way toward keeping him healthy.

[TruffleShuffle]

i don't hope that prior dominates the cubs, but i hope he dominates everyone else. i still hope he crafts a HoF career, and the cubs are looked at as the team that nearly ruined his arm with overuse, and jim hendry is the guy that let him get away when all he had to do was offer him a few million to stick around. that'll just add another chapter to the sad, embarrassing history of the chicago cubs.

 

 

Perhaps he didn't want to stick around?

 

I think it's pretty obvious from everything we've heard that he didn't want to stick around. Otherwise, he would have taken the 1-year deal with the team option for a 2nd year. From everything we've heard in the past couple of weeks, it sounded like both sides wanted to move on. Too many of you are letting your emotions get in the way here. Yes, it sucks that Prior won't pitch for the Cubs and that there's a chance he could return to dominance for another team, but this was a business decision. It's difficult to come back from shoulder surgery. The success rate is much lower than that of tommy john surgery. Plus, it usually takes longer to come back from. The Cubs wanted some assurance that Prior would be around after this year since he's probably not going to be ready to pitch until halfway through the season. Prior wouldn't give it to them. The Cubs made the decision to move on. We have to move on as well.

 

if there's anyone letting their emotions get in the way, it's the "screw him, he's a pansy and a traitor, i hope he stays hurt and never pitches again" crowd.

[E.J.]

i don't hope that prior dominates the cubs, but i hope he dominates everyone else. i still hope he crafts a HoF career, and the cubs are looked at as the team that nearly ruined his arm with overuse, and jim hendry is the guy that let him get away when all he had to do was offer him a few million to stick around. that'll just add another chapter to the sad, embarrassing history of the chicago cubs.

 

 

Perhaps he didn't want to stick around?

 

I think it's pretty obvious from everything we've heard that he didn't want to stick around. Otherwise, he would have taken the 1-year deal with the team option for a 2nd year. From everything we've heard in the past couple of weeks, it sounded like both sides wanted to move on. Too many of you are letting your emotions get in the way here. Yes, it sucks that Prior won't pitch for the Cubs and that there's a chance he could return to dominance for another team, but this was a business decision. It's difficult to come back from shoulder surgery. The success rate is much lower than that of tommy john surgery. Plus, it usually takes longer to come back from. The Cubs wanted some assurance that Prior would be around after this year since he's probably not going to be ready to pitch until halfway through the season. Prior wouldn't give it to them. The Cubs made the decision to move on. We have to move on as well.

 

if there's anyone letting their emotions get in the way, it's the "screw him, he's a pansy and a traitor, i hope he stays hurt and never pitches again" crowd.

 

I agree. But the other side is doing the same thing by saying the Cubs are idiots for letting him go when they don't have all the facts. Maybe the Cubs didn't like his medical records and thought he might not be ready until the end of next season. Maybe Prior just didn't want to be here anymore. It's just so hard to judge without know what really happened. All we know at this point is that Prior wouldn't sign a contract for a 1-year deal with a team option for 2009 and that the Cubs didn't want to take him to arbitration. That's all we know.

[E.J.]

From Bruce:

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=94433&src=152

 

As for Prior, the Cubs had hoped to work out a one-year contract plus a club option. Prior made $3.75 million this year as he missed the entire season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in April. If the Cubs had tendered Prior a contract, they could cut his salary a maximum of 20 percent. Hendry had hoped Prior would agree to a lesser deal for 2008 plus an incentive-laden deal for '09, but no deal was forthcoming, and the Cubs let Prior walk.

 

Prior worked on only 9 games in 2006, when the shoulder began bothering him. For his career, Prior is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA. The Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2001, he'll be remembered for going 18-6 in 2003 and helping the Cubs win the National League Central. Elbow and Achilles'-tendon problems began hampering Prior in 2004, and he never regained his 2003 form.

 

The Cubs were unable to trade Prior this off-season as they fielded little interest. Prior now is free to sign with any team.

[UK1679666180]

The Cubs offered a fair deal, Prior wanted more. Neither side is in the wrong and confirms the business aspect of the game sometimes blows, especially if Prior ever does get close to what he once was.

[TruffleShuffle]

Maybe the Cubs didn't like his medical records and thought he might not be ready until the end of next season.

 

Given the track record of the Cubs' doctors, a.k.a. Nick Riviera & Associates, I'm going to have to side with Dr. James Andrews on this one.

[soapy]

I can not believe this thread. What a joke. The people going out of their way to say that Prior is a wuss and a bad teammate and greedy need to get a freaking grip on reality.

 

I'm very sad to see him go, but I'm not certain how I feel about how Hendry dealt with the situation. He did offer a contract, but I don't know what it was. I can't speak to how Prior felt about the Cubs management on a personal level and vise versa. I can't speak to what kind of teammate he was. The fact is, neither can anyone else here unless they have close personal access to the situation, which nobody here does (save maybe Bruce). This is even ignoring the fact that this stuff doesn't really matter when it comes to being productive and winning.

 

The people claiming Prior has been getting paid, and wants paid, for doing nothing are completely insane. He may or may not ever be an effective pitcher, but you are completely oblivious if you claim he's been doing nothing the last 2-3 years (and the first half of next year).

 

Jason Marquis will make $21 million dollars in his three years with the Cubs. I believe Mark Prior made less than that (or something close to that) in his career with the Cubs. But yeah...Prior is the villian here...

[soapy]

Also of note, Mark Prior had more innings pitched in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than everyone's golden boy Kerry Wood. Not to mention the fact that he was better than Wood two of those years and was paid less (I think. Cot's is blocked here at work). Edited December 13, 2007 by soapy

[frostwyrm]

I have no problem with letting Prior go. I would have liked to have kept him if a team option for 2009 could have been worked out, but that was not case.

[fromthestretch]

I hope he is injured the rest of his life and never pitches again. It sounds like we gave him a fair enough offer, and if it's not good enough, soap-drop him. I hope he pissed away the most money he'll ever make in the majors.

 

Pure class. Billy D. Williams would be jealous.

 

Yeah, I'd say he owes the Cubs something. Karma's a drag, Mark.

 

Let's see:

 

*Hard collision with a sprinting Marcus Giles.

*Fractured elbow from a screaming liner of the bat of Brad Hawpe.

*Shoulder surgery.

 

All of this before the age of 27. I think Prior's already had his fill of bad karma. Considering none of those things are really his fault, I'd say he owes the Cubs absolutely nothing. Yes, it would have been nice if he took a lesser deal to stay, but I can't blame him for leaving the organization that didn't exactly exercise caution with his arm, implied that he was soft, etc.

Edited December 13, 2007 by grassbass

[UMFan83]

Also of note, Mark Prior had more innings pitched in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than everyone's golden boy Kerry Wood. Not to mention the fact that he was better than Wood two of those years and was paid less (I think. Cot's is blocked here at work).

 

What does that matter? Prior was in his arby years and Wood had more service time. He wasn't being underpaid relative to his experience and performance.

Edited December 13, 2007 by UMFan83

[apete6]

This is really one of the saddest moments of my Cubs fan life. Mark Prior was by far my favorite Cub ever. Just something about the way his career started and how he lived up to the hype. I got an authentic Prior #22 home jersey for my birthday on August 29, 2002 when he had 4 career wins.

 

Then 2003 happened and he was the best pitcher in baseball for most of that season (got screwed in the Cy Young voting) and that was my senior year at DePaul, so I was at a ton of games and have never been so excited to watch 1 guy play--except MAYBE 1996 Jordan. When he blew game 6, it was almost like seeing a ghost. It was a guy who built himself up to being almost infallible and then he just lost it. But I still thought it was the first of many postseason appearances for Prior and the Cubs.

 

2004 was rough, but he came on at the end of the season and had the 16K game versus the Reds that seemingly steered the Cubs back toward the postseason---but they obviously lost the game and blew the season.

 

Then in 2005, he was absolutely on fire until he got hit in the elbow with that line drive. That happened to be the day that I bought my condo and I just kind of had a bad feeling that some sort of symbolism was happening. I was moving on in my life and Priors career was over. The sad thing is that it may be true. He hasn't really done anything good since that line drive destroyed his elbow.

 

As for now, bottom line is that you can't really blame the Cubs for non-tendering him. It would have only been a 2008 contract--a year in which no one REALLY knows if he's going to pitch. He was going to walk away from the Cubs after next year anyway. It would have been 100x sadder to see him leave if he came back for the 2nd half of next year and was awesome.

 

He just doesn't want to play for the organization. Is that a slap in the face to the fans? Maybe, but if he thinks he was mistreated by the front office and/or the medical staff, that's his right as a professional. It doesn't mean it's fair to the fans or that we should like it, but there's nothing we can do about it. Mark Prior doesn't like being a Chicago Cub and it sucks. He did some great things for the franchise, but doesn't have a future here. I will always be heartbroken by that decision. I don't think I can ever root for the guy again and will probably BOO the crap out of him if he ever pitches at Wrigley again, but not out of hate, just out of anger. Anger caused by the front office, the situation in general, Garrett Atkins (who hit the line drive, I think), and Prior himself. Just a sad end to what looked like a possible hall of fame career. Typical Cubs saga.

[biittner77]

I'm not sure how I this makes much sense for Prior. If there wasn't much interest in trading for him, does he really think he'll get anything better than a make good 1 plus option contract from anyone else? It seems to me that prior wants a multi year deal but why would anyone do that for a guy that may never pitch again?

[Brendan]

i know we're all very emotionally invested in the cubs. we wax nostalgic about what was and what could've been. we get swept up in all of it. but, let's be honest about this: it was strictly a business decision. the cubs don't feel that the risk associated with the uncertainty of prior's health was worth meeting his demands (remains to be seen). prior thinks he can get more money with another team (definitely). prior probably felt disrespected. hendry probably felt disrespected. but, the bottom line is, money mends all wounds.

[UMFan83]

I'm not sure how I this makes much sense for Prior. If there wasn't much interest in trading for him, does he really think he'll get anything better than a make good 1 plus option contract from anyone else? It seems to me that prior wants a multi year deal but why would anyone do that for a guy that may never pitch again?

 

That's the point. He didn't want to be here. Whether there was some stuff that went on in the inside that caused him to hate the Cubs org, or he just wanted a fresh start somewhere else, the bottom line is Prior wasn't going to come back to the Cubs, which is why he didn't take 1+

[CubinNY]

The Cubs offered a fair deal, Prior wanted more. Neither side is in the wrong and confirms the business aspect of the game sometimes blows, especially if Prior ever does get close to what he once was.

I agree with Ping/UK. It was a fair deal IMO, but that's about the most fair they've been to Prior in quite some time.

[Brendan]

I'm not sure how I this makes much sense for Prior. If there wasn't much interest in trading for him, does he really think he'll get anything better than a make good 1 plus option contract from anyone else? It seems to me that prior wants a multi year deal but why would anyone do that for a guy that may never pitch again?

 

wasn't this because other teams figured prior would be non-tendered and could sign him without giving up anyone else?

[CubsInNC]

What does it say for Prior when Hendry gives deals to Dempster & Miller coming off injuries but not to Prior?

 

Didn't Hendry offer Prior a 2 year deal?

 

 

The reports I saw indicated he did, and that Prior's agent (or Mark, doesn't specify) didn't take those offers seriously. And what should it say to Prior? Hendry gave Miller and Dempster 1 year deals, with second year options that paid them $1mil during the rehab year. By all accounts, Prior wanted (and will receive) more than that for his rehab time (07 and part of the 08 season). We don't know what the Cubs offered him specifically, but odds are it was at least on par with those deals, if not better. The straw that broke the camel's back with Mark was last season, when he had to take a pay cut. I think it was then and there, that his opinion of the management/organization took its turn south that made him ultimately decide to leave. My next question, is how much of this reluctance to take a reduced contract is also from pressure from the MLBPA, and the precedent it might set for other, oft-injured pre-free agent players? Just speculation, but something to consider.

 

I'm sad that the Prior era is over, but I saw it coming. I think he was happy here. He seemed to get along with the players, the manager, etc. I think, for the most part, he even probably liked us, the fans. I think his issue with Chicago started and ended with Hendry.

 

Perhaps those with better knowledge of how baseball (and Bob for the insurance question) works can answer these questions:

 

1) Many times when an athelete gets injured, there's an insurance policy that can/will kick in, to pay their salary and rehab costs. Wouldn't signing Prior as an already injured player, basically eliminate that possibility? Whereas, in the past, when he was hurt (especially 2007) the insurance policy would have covered the expenses related to him?

 

2) Could an MLB team sign a player to a pro-rated contract, based on when they come back from the rehab process? Say, for example, sign Prior to a 1yr $6mil deal, pro-rated based on when he actually comes back, ie. return immediately after the ASB he'd only see $3mil of that?

 

3) Would the dedication of Prior to the player's union, influence his likelihood to reject a contract that pays him less, even if he's rehabbing, especially based on taking a paycut for the 2007 season?

 

Sitting back and looking at it, I ask myself if we'd be in this same place, if when this whole thing started and the Cubs doctors, nor Prior's doctors could find anything wrong in his shoulder, if instead he'd opted for exploratory surgery/cleanup rather than rehab. I think we would, as the media in Chicago loved to pansy him (midwest insecurity, leading to anti-west coast bias). Just wish it had turned out differently.

Edited December 13, 2007 by CubsInNC

[Brendan]

“I’m just an employee. The goal now is to go down and help that team win and try to make the Triple-A All-Star team. Maybe I can get invited to the Futures Game or something. I’m still 26.”

 

 

Hahhahahaha, if somebody gritty and Texan said that he'd be a total team player, but since he's some Cal-eye-forn-eye-aaaaa pretty boy, he's not a team player.

 

I heard that his teammates nicknamed him sunshine

that didn't go totally unnoticed.

[CuseCubFan69]

i know we're all very emotionally invested in the cubs. we wax nostalgic about what was and what could've been. we get swept up in all of it. but, let's be honest about this: it was strictly a business decision. the cubs don't feel that the risk associated with the uncertainty of prior's health was worth meeting his demands (remains to be seen). prior thinks he can get more money with another team (definitely). prior probably felt disrespected. hendry probably felt disrespected. but, the bottom line is, money mends all wounds.

 

Right...it went both ways and they decided to part. I feel empathy for those who really loved Prior because it is hard to see a guy go that you really enjoyed watching play for the Cubs and the wonderful potential he had. Again, I wish Mark well as long as it doesn't interfere with the Cubs being successful.

[ottawacubbie]

Now, lets say from here on out he NEVER goes on the DL again. However, he also isn't the pitcher he could have been . . . lets say slightly less than that of a Jamie Moyer. Win percentage of .522 and a career ERA of 4.22. Do you think he could ever wear a Cubs Jersey again? Maybe next time he is on FA market?