Yankees Sign Mark Prior to Minor League Deal

Okay, the New York Yankees are just playing with their money at this point, right? I mean really. Mark Prior? Show offs.

Apparently, the former Chicago Cubs ace is on the comeback trail, as the Yankees offered him a minor league contract this week. Prior will make $750,000 if he manages to make it back to the big leagues, and $750,000 more if he reaches certain pitching milestones.

It's been quite a while since the right-hander was relevant. He went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 2003, an All-Star season with the Cubs in which he finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting. Man, those were the days.

After that, the 30-year-old Prior endured a laundry list of injuries and hasn't thrown from a major league mound since 2006, a season before the Cubs cut ties with him once and for all. Since then, he's undergone surgery and pitched one shut-out inning for the AAA Oklahoma Redhawks.

Good luck buddy!

[New York Daily News]

Padres Add Mark Prior to Rotation

Hard-luck righty Mark Prior -- who has apparently developed carpal tunnel in his right hand from holding ice-cold beers during his latest rehab stint -- agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres Wednesday, giving the former Chicago Cubs phenom $1 million for one year.

The San Diego-born pitcher, who was the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, hit the free agent market on December 13th after the Cubs decided against making him part of their future.

After starting just nine games in 2006, he missed all of the 2007 season after having arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last Spring in his latest of career-derailing fiascoes. At 27, Prior has a 42-29 career record with a 3.51 ERA.

He enjoyed his best year in the infamous 2003 Cubs season, when he boasted an 18-6 record with a 2.43 ERA, helping his club get within one victory of reaching the World Series. Close! But no cigar... as they say in the carnival biz.

Prior joins an established rotation including NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, Ivy League right-hander Chris Young, veteran Greg Maddux and lefty Randy Wolf.

[ESPN]

Surprise! Mark Prior Out For Season

Clearly, Mark Prior is made out of papier-mâché.

The Chicago Cubs once young and promising ace will miss the entire 2007 season after having surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday in Alabama.

The 26-year-old righty has been plagued by injuries since his first full season in the majors in 2003, when he nearly pitched Chicago into its first World Series in 68 years. He finished third in the Cy Young voting that year, going 18-6 with a 4.24 ERA and striking out 245 in 211.1 innings.

Speaking of the Chicago Cubs and Injuries...

The Chicago Cubs announced Monday that Mark Prior will undergo exploratory arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tuesday in Alabama. If doctors must tighten any shoulder capsules, Prior would likely be out for the season.

GM Jim Hendry hopes that's not the case. He spoke with Prior over the weekend and said he was in good spirits.

The right-hander was 1-6 with a 7.91 ERA in 9 starts last year - a season cut short by a laundry list of injuries, including inflammation in his pitching elbow. Prior enjoyed his best season in 2003 when he went 18-6 with a 2.41 ERA and 245 strike outs.

[Chicago Tribune]

Mark Prior Sucks at Staying Healthy

Surprise! Mark Prior was feeling some discomfort in his right shoulder Thursday, and ended up leaving his first extended spring training start after just two innings.

He was optioned to AAA Iowa at the end of spring training, then immediately put on the minor league team's disabled list.

Prior was limited to nine games last season due to shoulder problems and pitched only 10.1 innings so far this spring. The Cubs said Prior is scheduled to visit an orthopedic specialist in California for further evaluation.

Remember when Prior was an 18-game winner in 2003? Those days seem long-gone since the 26-year-old righty has been plagued by a laundry list of injuries over the last three seasons. Will he ever be healthy enough to pitch an entire season and possibly help the Cubs contend?

[Chicago Tribune]

Mark Prior Demoted to AAA

Mark Prior was sent to AAA Iowa Wednesday where the Chicago Cubs can only hope that he will work on his form that once made him one of the most promising young pitchers in the league... four years ago.

Prior, whose career has been tainted by a laundry list of injuries including his Achilles, elbow and shoulder, has started the last three seasons on the disabled list and was limited to nine starts by shoulder problems a year ago when his record was just 1-6.

He had four appearances and three starts this spring, pitching just 10.1 innings.

The club's decision to go with Wade Miller as the fifth starter was announced Tuesday, leaving no room in the rotation for Prior.

The 26-year-old righty was the second player chosen in the 2001 draft after a successful final college season at Southern California, breaking out with the Cubs in 2002. He has a 42-29 record, including his 18-6 season in 2003 when he helped hurl Chicago into the playoffs.

GM Jim Hendry said that a member of the Cubs' staff would be present at every one of Prior's starts in the minors.

[FOX Sports]

Cubs Wrap Prior, Wood in Caution Tape

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella will keep two of his big guns out of the first week of Cactus League games, to further nurse them back to health and avoid any sort of potential baseball-related injuries.

So far, so good for the right-handed Mark Prior, who threw 35 pitches to hitters in a live batting practice session on Sunday morning at Fitch Park. He'll have Monday off, then throw light toss and another BP session, his velocity improving each time. Prior himself expects to be ready by Opening Day without question, but he is not on pitching coach Larry Rothschild's list for the first five games.

After spending the winter rehabbing his right shoulder, Kerry Wood, is slowly but surely being groomed for the bullpen. He faced hitters on Saturday for the first time, slightly behind the other pitchers, but seems to be doing well after the hot tub incident earlier this month.

As for the rest of the starters, the Cactus League rotation will be Jason Marquis on Thursday against the Giants, followed by Carlos Zambrano on Friday vs. the Angels. Wade Miller will go Saturday against the Athletics along with Jeff Samardzija, and Rich Hill is on for Sunday against the White Sox. Ted Lilly, the other addition to the Cubs rotation, will face the Mariners on March 5th.

[Chicago Cubs]

Cubs, Mark Prior Come To Terms

The Chicago Cubs avoided salary arbitration Wednesday, agreeing with Mark Prior on a one-year deal.

If Prior manages to stay off the DL for the better part of the season (30 starts), he will get $3,575,000 and would earn an additional $150,000 each start. Since Prior, 26, went 18-6 in 2003, he has won just 18 games over the past three seasons due to injury after injury after injury...

He is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in 106 starts since making his major league debut in 2002 and has struck out 757 batters in 657 innings - an amazing rate of 10.37 per nine.