Mark Prior, cut loose by the Cubs earlier this month, has agreed to terms with the San Diego Padres.
Prior receives a one-year major league deal with a $1 million base salary. The contract, which doesn't include an option, contains incentive clauses that could take the total value of the deal to over $3 million. Prior, however, is not anticipating his season debut with the Padres until mid-to-late May.
I'm morbidly curious to see if Prior suddenly morphs into a durable Cy Young-level pitcher now that he's left Chicago. If he's even healthy, the Pads add to their already-outrageous pitching staff. With the Dodgers acquiring .220-hitting Andruw Jones and the Rockies doing nothing (yet), I've got the D-Backs and Padres going 1-and-2 in the NL West. Either way, the NL West continues to become even more obscenely powerful than before.
"Wocka Wocka...who wants to hear a funny-ass joke?"
There's no such thing as a bad one year deal, and at $1 mil, that's just nuts ...
VERY smart signing, even if it doesn't pan out you're off the hook cheap.
Behind Peavy, Chris "Cy" Young, Maddux, and Wolf, that could make for the best rotation in the NL ... I could watch the top two guys do battle with Webb and Haren all year. (and WILL!)
What was it the Cubs were offering? I know it was a one-year deal with a team option, but was it substantially more money? Because even if he does have one good year, a team would still be crazy to open up the vault for him in 2009.
Originally posted by Mr. BoffoWhat was it the Cubs were offering? I know it was a one-year deal with a team option, but was it substantially more money? Because even if he does have one good year, a team would still be crazy to open up the vault for him in 2009.
The Cubs couldn't really offer him anything other than arbitration, because they wanted to cut his salary by more than the percentage (X) allowed by the CBA. Fearing they could lose arbitration, and not really wanting to pay him only X% less than last year, they didn't offer arbitration. Numbers were apparently discussed, but Prior and the Cubs realized that it was best to part ways at this point.
Originally posted by Mr. BoffoWhat was it the Cubs were offering? I know it was a one-year deal with a team option, but was it substantially more money? Because even if he does have one good year, a team would still be crazy to open up the vault for him in 2009.
The Cubs offer was about the same $1 mil this year + incentives + $5 mil team option for next year. If Prior took the deal, they would've got around the minimum decrease issue by non-tendering him and then signing him as a new free agent. Prior's people were offended at such an offer and it never got advanced from there. The Cubs kept quiet about their 100% of cutting him at the deadline in case San Diego (or someone else) was willing to make a deal, but had knew he was gone for at least a month.
Prior and his people are convinced that he's going to be fine by mid-season, and absolutely did not want to lock in with any team for 2009. As thin as the free agent pitching market has been in the last few years, the idea is a half season of being healthy/decent could gain Prior a Meche/Silva type deal - the kind of deal they figure they should be at by this point. They're not willing to sell short any more future years.
I think we can all agree this is an insane strategy, but it shows the immense faith they have in Prior's recovery.
The Padres are expecting Prior to be ready by June, and he has started throwing from flat ground. I would hope he gets a lengthly rehab assignment in Portland before joining the rotation.
I have to agree with cfgb in that once Prior is healthy and in the rotation, the Padres will have the best in the NL. This, along with the signing of Tadahito Iguchi, is genius. Unfortunately, the Pads still don't have an outfield to speak of.
Litter is my most treacherous foe. I would like to eat its children.
Considering Johnson was one of the few pitchers who consistently shut down the Red Sox, from a head to head point of view the O's are weaker now than they were when the season ended.