Mark Prior Rumors

Perrotto's Latest: Red Sox, Mets, Burnett, Blalock

John Perrotto over at Baseball Prospectus has his weekly column up... let's take a look at what he has to say: Couple of notes about the Red Sox: Perrotto expects Theo Epstein to re-sign Jason Varitek to a two-year deal in the $16MM range. This seems like drastically overpaying for what Varitek has become, in my opinion, but as Perrotto points out, there's very little on the free agent market. Epstein will then look to trade for a young catcher who can become the starter in 2010 or 2011. Additionally, he'll try to move Mike Lowell to open up a...   Continue Reading

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Mulder, Prior, Clement, Correia Prefer San Diego

Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Petco Park remains the preferred choice of free agent pitchers returning from injury. In particular, the agents for Mark Mulder, Mark Prior, Matt Clement, and Kevin Correia admit their clients have San Diego at the top of their list. If the Padres trade Jake Peavy, they'll have all kinds of uncertainty in the rotation and some payroll to play with. A few more names from the injury bargain bin: Kris Benson, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Mike Hampton, Jason Jennings, Pedro Martinez, Sergio Mitre, Carl Pavano, and Brad Penny.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Prior, Mulder, Cameron

Links for Wednesday... Mark Prior hopes to return to the Padres, according to a blogger who talked to him at a pumpkin patch. That wheelbarrow looks a bit heavy... I am still digging through the many applications for the Saturday morning position - thanks for your interest. Tons of great candidates in the mix. Viva El Birdos reflects on Mark Mulder's time with the Cardinals. Mulder is trying everything he can to get back to his old self. Dave Cameron names Mike Cameron the top free agent bargain of last offseason. SI.com's Jon Heyman looks at how the Rays were...   Continue Reading

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Prior Ready For Start Of '09 Season?

6:33pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock talked to Boggs, who says Prior is interested in returning to the Padres. He could be a low-cost option for them, but it's unknown whether they're interested. Prior is currently playing catch (well, maybe not right this second). 10:24am: According to ESPN's Buster Olney: Mark Prior, who had a second, less-invasive surgery on his right shoulder earlier this year, is in the midst of a throwing program and should be ready for the start of the 2009 season, said his agent, John Boggs. Prior is expected to file for free agency. "He said he feels good,...   Continue Reading

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Season-Ending Surgery For Prior

MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Prior will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn muscle in his shoulder. The Padres signed the injury-plagued starter to a $1MM contract this offseason. While the news of Prior having to miss a season due to surgery doesn't come as much of a surprise, a healthy rebound would have been a bright spot in what has otherwise been a tough season for the Padres. The team saw Jake Peavy, Chris Young, and Josh Bard all hit the DL in May. It's unfortunate, but it seems like this will make...   Continue Reading

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More Prior Details

Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune has more details on Mark Prior's contract and suitors. Prior cited the Astros, Cardinals, Mets, and Rangers as the most aggressive; about half the teams in baseball contacted his agent. Contract details: it has a $1MM base with another possible $3.5MM in incentives. However, much of the incentive money is tied to the number of starts he makes, so he'll probably end up earning $3MM or less in 2008. How bad was the shoulder injury? How far along is Prior in his rehab? I've talked to some people and read published reports and..   Continue Reading

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Prior Signs With Padres

UPDATE, 12-26-07 at 4:33pm: Prior gets $1MM guaranteed and can earn another $4.5MM in incentives. FROM 12-26-07 at 1:05pm: Ah, some real news. ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Padres have reached an agreement with Mark Prior. It's a one-year deal with a low $1MM base. Olney says incentives could bring the total past $3MM, which is still a very reasonable gamble. Now Prior can rebuild his value in a great pitcher's park and re-enter free agency in a year. Click here to read about the specific shoulder damage Prior had repaired. Prior is throwing on flat ground currently, and..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Not Interested In Prior

On December 19th, ESPN's Jayson Stark named the White Sox as one of eleven teams interested in free agent starter Mark Prior. However, White Sox GM Kenny Williams was asked whether he had interest in Prior yesterday and replied in the negative (hat tip to South Side Sox). So, no Prior jerseys on the south side. The current scoreboard on Prior: the Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals, Padres, Astros, Giants, Reds, Nationals, Marlins, and Indians are in. The Yankees, White Sox, Rangers, Phillies, and Pirates are out. Buster Olney recently said that Prior could make his decision by this evening and..   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Guardado, Cameron, Hamilton

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has all the latest hot stove buzz around the Rangers. The Rangers are nearing a deal with Eddie Guardado. Everyday Eddie might be a dark horse to close, if he can flash his late season form again. The Reds decided in October that he was not worth $3.5MM, and declined his option. Guardado is 37. The Rangers hope to add some kind of veteran starter. Bartolo Colon and Jason Jennings are still options, but Mark Prior and Freddy Garcia pretty much are not. Sullivan names Mike Maroth, Mark Hendrickson, and Josh Towers as pitchers of interest. Mike..   Continue Reading

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Padres Leading For Prior, Rangers Out

UPDATE, 12-21-07 at 11:02am: The Rangers took a look at Prior's meds, and they are "completely out" on him according to T.R. Sullivan. Rosenthal had said they were aggressively pursuing him. FROM 12-21-07 at 9:55am: Yesterday we outlined the 14 teams involved in the Mark Prior Derby. Last night, Buster Olney provided an update to the situation. Olney's article was published around 8:15pm CST, and he said Prior may choose his new team within 24-48 hours. So perhaps we will know by Saturday evening. According to Olney, the Padres "appear to be the frontrunner." They've apparently offered Prior a package..   Continue Reading

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The Mark Prior Derby

Let's do a recap on the Mark Prior Derby, which is getting more confusing each day. Jerry Crasnick has added some good info this afternoon. Prior wants a one-year deal and hopes to be on a big league mound before the end of May. Yankees - They'll probably pass, per Hank Steinbrenner. Red Sox - Named only by Jayson Stark. White Sox - Named only by Stark. Mariners - Named by Stark, denied by Jim Street. Mets - Named by Stark, Crasnick, Ken Rosenthal, Ed Price Cardinals - Named by Stark, Crasnick, Rosenthal, Matthew Leach Padres - Named by many,..   Continue Reading

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Steinbrenner: "Outside Chance" For Johan

Hank Steinbrenner spoke to Kat O'Brien yesterday regarding Johan Santana. The key quote: "There's still an outside chance that we get him." Steinbrenner also indicated that he has final say over this deal, in case you were wondering. Plus, Steinbrenner said the Yankees looked into Mark Prior but are not currently interested. No worries for Prior, he's got plenty of suitors   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Prior, Lofton, Otsuka

ESPN's Jayson Stark dishes some good rumorage in his latest column. Stark dug around to find all the Mark Prior suitors and came up with this list: Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Mariners, Mets, Cardinals, Padres, Astros, Giants, Reds, Nationals (11 teams). Let's compare notes. MLBTR readers have seen the Yankees, Mets, Cards, Padres, Astros, Reds, and Nats linked to Prior already. So Stark has added the Red Sox, White Sox, Mariners, and Giants. The idea of the Mariners runs contrary to this MLB.com article. Stark did not name the Rangers, who are said to be aggressively pursuing Prior. Prior..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Prior, Bedard, Haren

The rumor mill is picking up today, thanks in no short part to Ken Rosenthal. Check out his latest column. Rosenthal believes the Padres are Mark Prior's first choice, but as usual they won't pay as much as other teams. Both Texas clubs are in the lead for Prior currently. Rosenthal also names the Cards, Mets, and Yankees are suitors, as we knew. The Pirates, by the way, have not inquired. Talks for Erik Bedard have slowed down, because the Orioles aren't impressed with the offers. The Mariners, Reds, and Mets are the top contenders. Rosenthal indicates that the Reds..   Continue Reading

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Mark Prior Rumors: Astros, Cardinals

More info coming in on Mark Prior, who's starting to seem like a hot commodity. I can see how teams find him tantalizing, though a decent half-season from him is probably the upside. The Astros have an offer out to Prior; throwing out tons of early offers seems to be Ed Wade's style this winter. Wade says the expectation is for Prior to be ready by late May; you can easily push that back a month if you want to be realistic. The 'Stros will also watch Kris Benson throw. That means only two of the ten clubs interested in..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Nady, Barrett, Jenkins, Prior

Padres rumor guru Tom Krasovic has a new article up at the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres are open to trading 24 year-old catcher Nick Hundley. Hundley did not crack Baseball America's Padres top ten prospects for '08 after hitting .247/.324/.475 at Double A. Kevin Towers would've sent him to the Astros for Luke Scott, and still could send him to Pittsburgh for Xavier Nady. Krasovic says that if the Padres are to deal Michael Barrett for a few prospects, it's likely to happen soon. The Pirates are said to be interested so maybe a deal involving Nady and some..   Continue Reading

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Nats, Mets, Yanks Interested In Prior

UPDATE, 12-15-07 at 12:47pm: The Phillies are one team that does not have interest in Prior. UPDATE, 12-15-07 at 8:48am: Ed Price adds that the Yankees and Mets have both shown preliminary interest in Prior. Apparently he is throwing on flat ground and could be ready by May. Translation: he may return by the second half. Price believes roughly a dozen clubs are interested in Prior. FROM 12-14-07 at 11:53pm: The Nationals are looking in the bargain bin for a veteran starting pitcher. Two options they're considering are Mark Prior and Jason Jennings, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Iguchi, Prior, Cameron

Padres rumor guru Tom Krasovic checks in with the latest. Why does Tadahito Iguchi love San Diego so much? He passed on far superior offers (and hitter's parks) from the Rockies and Phillies. The Padres have definitely developed a competitive advantage over the years in that guys will make concessions to play there. Nine teams have expressed interest in Mark Prior, according to his agent. The Astros are confirmed. The Reds, Rangers, and Phillies are other possibilities. The Padres haven't checked in yet but they are expected to. Talks are still ongoing between Mike Cameron and the Padres   Continue Reading

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Astros Interested In Prior

According to Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle, the Astros have contacted Mark Prior's agent. Prior is a free agent for the first time in his career after the Cubs non-tendered him on Wednesday. By the way, I've previously erroneously named Prior's current agent as Scott Boras. That changed at some point - he's with John Boggs now. Astros GM Ed Wade admitted to his interest in Prior but not much else. He told McTaggart that a lot of teams have contacted Boggs about Prior (nine, to be exact). Prior figures to miss a few months of the 2008 season..   Continue Reading

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Reds Rumors: Bedard, Prior

A break from your regularly scheduled steroid talk. John Fay checks in on the Reds' pursuit of starting pitching. Fay says the Reds are still hopeful about getting Erik Bedard, and puts their chances at 50/50. The Orioles still want Jay Bruce, and the Reds are still resisting. Fay notes Dusty Baker told folks at the Meetings that he'd like to have Mark Prior. Whether Prior would like to be under his watch again is the question. As a 22 year-old in 2003, Prior ranked third in baseball in Pitcher Abuse Points per start   Continue Reading

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Today's Non-tenders: Towers, Prior, Everett, Durbin

Tim's out for the night, so we've got a fresh post started for the non-tenders. MLB.com has a running list as well. These guys are the officials as of now: As expected, the Marlins non-tendered catcher Miguel Olivo. Johnny Estrada was another casualty; these two make up the market for starting catchers. The Blue Jays non-tendered Josh Towers, a surprising move. Some NL team could offer him two years and get league average work out of him. Mark Prior has been non-tendered. Honestly if I were the Cubs, I would've tossed the $3.5MM his way just to see. Aaron Miles..   Continue Reading

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Prior To Be Non-tendered?

According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, Mark Prior "seems headed for the non-tender list" unless the Cubs pull off a trade or Prior concedes to an option year for 2009. The 27 year-old hasn't started a big league game since August 10th, 2006. If he becomes a free agent, I imagine many teams would view him as a low-risk, high-reward option. The Padres have cooled on him, though   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Fukudome, Prior, Roberts

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times checks in with the latest Cubs buzz. The Cubs, Padres, and White Sox are in on Kosuke Fukudome. It seems that both Chicago teams are willing to spend big bucks. Wittenmyer's source indicates sparse interest in Mark Prior, though the Cubs have been shopping him. The Cubs could still choose to non-tender him on Wednesday rather than pay $3MM+. Seems like a reasonable gamble though. The Orioles want to figure out their plans with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada before making a move with Brian Roberts, so talks with the Cubs have cooled. The..   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Lamb, Gagne, Prior

As usual, Evan Grant has the latest Rangers hot stove buzz. New acquisition Chris Shelton may see some time at first base for the Rangers. As far as left-handed hitters, the Rangers' options are Mike Lamb, Sean Casey, and in-house choice Frank Catalanotto. Free agents Eric Gagne, LaTroy Hawkins, Corey Patterson, and Milton Bradley are still on the radar. Contrary to previous reports, the Rangers aren't interested in Mark Prior. The Rangers don't want to move Vicente Padilla or Kevin Millwood as straight-up salary dumps   Continue Reading

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Four Teams After Prior

MLB.com's Jim Molony names four teams interested in Mark Prior: Reds, Padres, Phillies, and Rangers. The Phils are the new one on that list; I remember they had interest a few years back in a Prior for Bobby Abreu swap. One other team that may have some interest is the Mariners   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Fukudome, Prior

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:58pm: MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone says there is "very minimal buzz"that the Mets may have inquired on Prior. UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 7:04pm: Tasty rumor morsel: Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says Fukudome is "almost certainly" going to sign with the Cubs. UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:20pm: Some new stuff from ESPN Radio 1000's Bruce Levine. The Cubs have talked to the Royals about Mark Teahen; the Royals like Matt Murton. Levine says there's nothing to the Josh Hamilton rumor. FROM 12-4-07 at 12:11pm: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times discusses the rumors around the Cubs. Wittenmyer implies that..   Continue Reading

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ESPN's Latest: Sosa, Prior, Kuroda, Reyes

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:19pm: Ah, the truth comes out. Sammy Sosa's people approached the Royals, but they weren't interested. FROM 12-4-07 at 3:17pm: ESPN has a huge team at the Meetings; here are some tidbits that haven't appeared elsewhere on MLBTR. Enrique Rojas says the Royals have interest in Sammy Sosa. Could that indicate a Mark Teahen trade is in the works also? Teahen is expected to move to first base to accomodate Jose Guillen, which would push Billy Butler to DH. But Sammy can only DH. Buster Olney says the Rangers and Padres are in on Mark Prior. The..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Rolen, Haren, Prior, Hawkins

Ken Rosenthal has some new rumors for us. The Dodgers lead the chase for Scott Rolen, with the Angels also in the mix. The Giants' Brian Sabean denied interest. The D'Backs view the Athletics' requests for Dan Haren to be quite excessive. Talks between the Padres and Cubs for Mark Prior have cooled. The Rangers offered LaTroy Hawkins a one-year deal with a club option. As you know, he wants two years   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Cliff Lee, Edwin Jackson

You know the drill... Nick Piecoro checks in on his blog. Apparently the D'Backs discussed swapping Carlos Quentin for Cliff Lee before sending him to Chicago. As much as he might've liked to it seems like Josh Byrnes couldn't get a starter for Quentin. Geoff Baker links the Mariners to Lee, Ben Sheets, Mark Prior, and Edwin Jackson based on yesterday's buzz. The Sheets one has since been questioned, since the Dodgers were identified as the West Coast team that inquired. Prior could be part of a Raul Ibanez trade, but the Cubs are first focusing on Fukudome. As for..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Loretta, Iguchi, Peavy, Barrett

Tom Krasovic fills us in on the latest with the Padres. Kevin Towers is considering Mark Loretta and Tadahito Iguchi as second base options. Loretta has expressed interest. I wonder how this will make the Padres feel; his strong flirtations may turn them off. Jake Peavy will get full no-trade protection for 2008-10, limited for 2011-12. As reported yesterday Towers is in talks for Mark Prior and Josh Towers. Towers said that himself? Tampering! The Padres still expect Michael Barrett to accept arby. Krasovic mentions the Cubs actually considered having Barrett switch positions last year. Yes! Barrett should market himself..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Tavarez, Lieber, Stewart

Another collection... A few notes from Brian Cashman...the Yanks have talked to Luis Vizcaino's agent about bringing him back. Also, they've yet to inquire on any free agent center fielders. Miguel Cabrera has been talking to Ozzie Guillen daily since the season ended. The article makes Cabrera sound like a big kid. The Red Sox have had a couple of inquiries on Julian Tavarez. Five or six teams have inquired on Shannon Stewart, who wants a two-year pact apparently. The Phillies, contrary to previous reports, are not interested in re-signing Jon Lieber. On a scale of 1 to 10, the..   Continue Reading

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Padres Working On Trade For A Starter

The Padres have already signed Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf this winter, but GM Kevin Towers isn't done. He's expecting to finish a trade before the Padres leave Nashville. Tom Krasovic thinks it might be Mark Prior or Josh Towers. Both are said to be non-tender candidates, but surely the Cubs and Jays can work out deals rather than lose the pitchers for nothing. Prior is the high risk high reward guy, Towers is the opposite   Continue Reading

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Levine's Latest: Rowand, Prior, Hudson, Swisher

Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 went on air a few hours ago with some interesting tidbits regarding the Chicago teams. This was before the Sox acquired Carlos Quentin so I'm not sure what kind of effect that has on this info. The White Sox are still very much in the mix for Aaron Rowand, but they really don't want to give him five years. By the way Jerry Crasnick mentioned today that the Phillies may be willing to stretch to four years on Rowand or at least three years plus a vesting option. The Cubs are having all sorts of..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Cameron, Jenkins, Colon

UPDATE, 11-28-07 at 10pm: Krasovic has an update on the Union-Tribune's sports blog. Cameron's agent said tonight that he would decline the Padres' offer of arbitration. That doesn't mean the Padres still can't sign him, but it seems unlikely. Krasovic also notes that the Friars are pursuing Japanese reliever Kazuo Fukumori. As you know, they brought him in for a workout previously. The Rockies and Red Sox have been linked to him in the past. FROM 11-28-07 at 10:40am: Tim Sullivan and Tom Krasovic make are a productive tandem for Padres rumors. Sullivan and Krasovic both posted new articles today...   Continue Reading

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Crasnick's Latest: Kuroda, Marquis, Morris

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick has an in-depth look at the pitching market. I'll highlight a few new tidbits. Hiroki Kuroda might require four years, as some teams are viewing him as the best available free agent starter. Scott Boras might wait out the market a bit and then push for five years for Kyle Lohse. That's right, five years for Kyle Lohse. Matt Clement to the Reds is a possibility I hadn't considered. Clement did pitch for Dusty Baker with the Cubs. Crasnick reports there would be huge interest in Mark Prior if the Cubs non-tender him. As in, pretty much..   Continue Reading

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Cubs May Trade Mark Prior

Three articles about the Cubs' Mark Prior situation came out today - Buster Olney, Paul Sullivan, and Gordon Wittenmyer. The Cubs have until December 12th to make a decision one way or another - that date is the last day for teams to offer 2008 contracts to unsigned players. The Cubs may try to keep Prior and see if they can salvage anything. He hasn't taken a big league mound since August 10, 2006, when he got knocked around by the Brewers. What the Cubs don't want is to bring Prior back for 2008, see him rebuild value, and then..   Continue Reading

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Latest Cubs Rumors: Crawford, Crisp, Ibanez

Cubs rumors abound today. Some sensible, some not. Let's catch up. According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs want to re-sign Kerry Wood and possibly give him the closer job. Ryan Dempster could be pushed down the reliever totem pole or traded (he makes $5.5MM in the last year of his deal). Dempster has expressed a desire to start in the past, but the Cubs don't seem keen on it. UPDATE: The Cubs are keen on Dempster as a starter, as Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 reported today that he will be switched to that role in..   Continue Reading

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Dunn, Hatteberg Option Decisions Due Sunday

According to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds have to make decisions on the options for Adam Dunn, Scott Hatteberg, Eddie Guardado, and Javier Valentin by November 4th. Dunn is the big one; his is for $13MM with a $0.5MM buyout. This is an easy decision to exercise, though it will cause full no-trade protection to kick in until June 15th. After that he gets to choose 10 clubs to which he would accept a trade. But I think that if the Reds want him out of town the two parties will find a way to make it..   Continue Reading

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Could Reds Pursue Prior, Wood?

Dusty, Prior, and Wood back together again? Chris De Luca's article today discusses the possibility, though it should be classified as speculation. New Reds manager Dusty Baker apparently keeps in touch with his former 1-2 punch, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Baker would like to know exactly what was wrong with Prior's shoulder, if he is going to be blamed for it. As a 22 year-old in 2003, Prior ranked third in the game in Pitcher Abuse Points per start. Wood ranked first (and rankings don't take the postseason into account). De Luca notes that the Cubs are likely to..   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Rumors

The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes has some mild hot stove chatter today. Tim Wakefield's $4MM option is likely to be exercised. There was some speculation a week ago that it could be declined, but no one really believed it. It's still a bargain. Julian Tavarez's $3.85MM option is a borderline call, and Edes seems to think it will be declined. Nothing new with Mike Lowell - he wants to return, but the door's open for the Phillies or Yankees if the Red Sox won't pony up enough years. Most folks expect Curt Schilling to leave. But if he's still up..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Done With Prior?

Three newspapers, one message: Mark Prior's future with the Cubs is in doubt. You can ask Paul Sullivan, Gordon Wittenmyer, or Bruce Miles. Prior recently had shoulder surgery with Dr. James Andrews, and he'll accrue no Major League service time this year. You have to wonder if the Cubs sending Prior to Triple A initially was done with this in mind. Now, Prior won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2009 season. Should the Cubs cut ties with Prior and non-tender him this winter, or should they invest just a few million more to see if he can..   Continue Reading

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Gotham Baseball: Mets and Yankees Rumors

Check out the latest from Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball. A summary is below. Healey's Cubs source indicates Mark Prior and Alex Rodriguez could be the main pieces of a trade. That'd be a tough sell for Brian Cashman so I'm sure the Cubs would have to spice up such an offer. Healey's source mentions Mark DeRosa as a possible A-Rod replacement in New York. A couple of names associated with the Mets include Ray Durham and Mark Mulder. Durham is a new one for me, though the Mulder info jives with what I heard last week. I also have..   Continue Reading

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Will Carroll Was Right...

But I doubt he's happy about it. Paul Sullivan, the same Paul Sullivan implied Will Carroll didn't deserve to be called a journalist, reports that Mark Prior has left camp with shoulder soreness. Maybe he should print an apology? As Carroll has mentioned, he's a huge fan of the Cubs and Prior. It's a shame to see that the Cubs' ace will already have his first start pushed back after all the quasi-claims of good health   Continue Reading

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Prior's Injury: Timeline of Events

As this Mark Prior shoulder injury thing continues to pick up steam, I thought it might make sense for me to lay out an estimated timeline for those not located in Chicago. February 20th, 11am: Baseball Prospectus injury analyst Will Carroll mentions a tip he's received claiming that Mark Prior is nursing shoulder problems within a spring training injury notebook. February 20th, 11:05am: Major League GMs and other BP subscribers read Carroll's report and nod knowingly. Cubdom reacts. Blogs were all over this one for the next few hours. February 20th, afternoon: Carroll appears on Chicago sports talk station 670..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Never Pursued Prior

I spoke to my White Sox source today, and he was able to offer up a little bit of information. Remember this tantalizing tidbit from Gordon Edes's January 15th article for the Boston Globe? "Would you believe that the White Sox were hovering on the fringes of the Tejada trade talks, not because of any interest in Tejada but in the hopes that if the Orioles peddled him to the Chicago Cubs for ace Mark Prior, they would have been willing to flip Prior to the crosstown White Sox in a package?" Not so, according to my source. The White..   Continue Reading

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Phils' Attempted Starter Acquisitions

Remember about a week ago, when Pat Gillick mentioned that the Phillies's deal for a #1 or #2 starter had fallen through? I'm received a fair amount of emails on this topic, so I wanted to address it. I talked my Phils source, and he gave me the lowdown. He mentioned that most if not all of these names had previously appeared in the media linked to the Phillies, but I'll present the information anyway. Mark Prior was never the Phillies' number one choice. They've always been lukewarm on him due to his health record. Had the Cubs parted with..   Continue Reading

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Phil Rogers On Burnitz

Some interesting items for Cubs fans in Phil Rogers's column today. Rogers calls the Cubs' decision not to exercise Jeromy Burnitz's $7MM option a gaffe. He points out that Jacque Jones is basically Burnitz's equal in right field. That's true, even when you take fielding into account. In my opinion, letting Burnitz go was a smart move. However, signing Jones for three years is a poor way to solve fill the vacancy. At least, that's been my stance on this site. But after perusing the right fielder rankings from 2005, I had to ask myself: what alternative would I have..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Tejada Trade On The Table

An emailer reports that the Cubs are awaiting word from the Orioles on this offer: Cubs get: Miguel Tejada, Erik Bedard Orioles get: Mark Prior, Rich Hill, Corey Patterson This proposal is on the table. The report comes from Bruce Levine on ESPN Radio 1000. The pros and cons of this deal have been debated endlessly on this site. To restate my opinion: this move works as a "win now" move. The Cubs would add something like seven wins, so they'd need some additional upgrades or players outplaying projections to be favored as the division winner. A couple of options..   Continue Reading

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Peter Angelos, Mark Prior, and Medical History

It's well known that Baltimore Orioles CEO Peter Angelos is very mindful of players' health records, moreso than any other GM. It could have something to do with Angelos's past as a personal injury lawyer. Or it could be two massive free agent blunders made in the past by the Orioles: Scott Erickson and Albert Belle. The Orioles wasted many millions as the two players deteriorated. The Angelos mindset is center stage at the moment, as the health of Cubs starter Mark Prior is far from spotless. As I mentioned earlier, here's what Buster Olney had to say on the..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Willing To Trade Prior?

Ken Rosenthal's got Chicago buzzing: "The Cubs, aggressively pursuing a blockbuster trade for Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada, are willing to part with a top starting pitcher, most likely right-hander Mark Prior, sources tell FOXSports.com." According to Rosenthal, the talks stalled when the Cubs insisted on receiving Erik Bedard and Tejada without surrendering Felix Pie or a top pitching prospect. A longshot three-way deal involving Manny Ramirez, Tejada, and Prior was also mentioned. As stated here back in November, Bedard is very much available. Bedard is more than a year older than Prior, and is even more fragile. I've projected Bedard..   Continue Reading

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Randy Johnson/Mark Prior Projections

Randy Johnson and Mark Prior both had disappointing seasons in 2005. Johnson didn't meet high expectations based on his past performance, and Prior's season has caused some to question whether he'll ever be an ace. I've done my best to project both pitchers' 2006; check it out at RotoAuthority as a sneak peek before my 2006 Fantasy Guide becomes available. Randy Johnson Projection Mark Prior Projectio   Continue Reading

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Prior For Abreu: Forget It

One of the hot rumors at the moment is that the Cubs "didn't say no" when the Phillies asked for Mark Prior in return for Bobby Abreu. This Philadelphia Daily News article only fueled the fire. Hopefully putting the rumor to bed, Bruce Levine quoted Jim Hendry recently on ESPN Radio 1000 as saying Prior for Abreu is not an option. According to Levine, Carlos Zambrano is off the table as well. While the Cubs need a shakeup and Abreu is a star, dealing one of their young, cheap ace pitchers isn't the solution. Prior had home run and walk..   Continue Reading

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