Padres Sign Mark Prior; Hilarity Ensues
Mark Prior, banished from the Cubs less than a month ago, has found a new home. He is now going to be a San Diego Padre.
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.
“Mark Prior is a competitor and is working hard to regain the form that made him one of the great young pitchers in the game,” general manager Kevin Towers told The Associated Press. “We are confident he is going to help us in our rotation this season. It’s exciting that Mark is coming home to San Diego to pitch for the Padres.”
Prior, 27, last pitched in the majors in 2006, and he had shoulder surgery in April of 2007. Prior believes that he still has a career ahead of him, but he’s really just kidding himself.
“For unfortunate reasons, I just haven’t been healthy since the 2005 season,” he said. Prior went on to say, “2006 was not a good year, when I had shoulder problems. I feel I’ve got things taken care of. I’m on a good rehab program. I feel I’ve got a lot of great years left.” Nothing unfortunate here; he shouldn’t be talking about luck with the way his mechanics are for pitching.
The second overall pick in the 2001 draft, Prior went 18-6 for the Cubs in 2003 before experiencing a series of physical problems.
The only upside about this news is that Prior is returning to his home, in that he was born in San Diego and currently lives in San Diego County. Prior joins a rotation that includes Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Greg Maddux, and Randy Wolf.
Prior’s lifetime record in the big leagues is 42-29, with a 3.51 ERA. Coming to San Diego, he will benefit from the expansive confines of PETCO Park. The Padres didn’t spend much money on Prior and didn’t include an option for him, so this may prove to be a win-win situation for both parties. However, Padres fans shouldn’t be holding their breath.
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Ok. Lets all take a deep breath here and look at what this man has to offer the sport. As a cubs fan, I saw Mark Prior play in his brief hay-day and let me tell you: there was a lot there beyond the physical skills, the great pitch repoitoire and the amazing leg strength. My four year-old son saw him pitch at wrigley and still says Mark Prior is his pitching hero. OK – before all of the comments about how only a 4-year old would still consider Mark a hero – let me add this: Prior has an intensity, the physical skills and the mental tenacity to be one of the game;s premier pitchers. He is 27. I love the look in his eye when he is on the mound. Mark: get healthy. Stay focused. Use all the nay-saying as fuel. I am a cubs fan but superceding that I am a fan of the great american past-time and I want to see you become the ballplayer you were bornto be. For one baseball fan and his now 6-year old son, we are still routing for you and cant wait until you win the Cy Young.
JAB