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Mark Prior

Padres Rumors: Cameron, Jenkins, Colon

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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.

  • Sullivan says the Padres will probably offer arbitration to Mike Cameron.  Cameron will then decide whether to accept by December 7th.  It wouldn’t make sense for the Padres to move on a center fielder until that is resolved.  It’s also possible that the Padres just sign Cameron to a two-year deal – they’re sitting on a counteroffer from Cameron’s camp.
  • The Padres admit to interest in Andruw Jones, but it seems like a longshot.  They probably won’t go past one year, and even if Jones accepts that it’s not a good ballpark to rebuild value.
  • Sullivan names other center field possibilities: Aaron Rowand, Gary Matthews Jr., Reggie Willits, and Coco Crisp.
  • As for left field, Krasovic notes that the Padres met with Geoff Jenkins yesterday.  That might allow Scott Hairston to move to center if all of the above options fail.
  • On the pitchiing front, Buster Olney notes that the Padres have expressed interest in Randy Wolf, Bartolo Colon, and Mark Prior.

Crasnick’s Latest: Kuroda, Marquis, Morris

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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 every team in baseball.  Crasnick’s source indicates that Prior and the Cubs don’t have the best relationship.
  • Crasnick spoke to Doug Melvin and confirmed that Claudio Vargas and Chris Capuano will not be non-tendered.  But they could definitely be traded.
  • The Cubs are listening to offers for Jason Marquis, who is owed $16.25MM over 2008-09.  So maybe they are still in on Kuroda.
  • New Pirates GM Neal Huntington is shopping Dave Littlefield’s mistake, Matt Morris.  Morris makes $9.5MM in ’08 and would be owed a $1MM buyout in ’09.

Cubs May Trade Mark Prior

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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 have him jump ship after the season.  Instead they want an option for 2009 tacked on.  The least the Cubs can sign him for ’08 is $2.86MM.  Prior won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2009 season since he accrued no MLB service time this year.  So I’m not sure why the Cubs would be terribly concerned with ’09 since they would control him for that year anyway.   UPDATE: From what I’m hearing he is a free agent after ’08 after all.

As Buster Olney notes, the Cubs also have the option of trading Prior right now.  Then his new team can deal with the contract situation.    There’s definitely a little bit of low-cost upside there, and the Padres are said to be interested. 

The third option is to non-tender Prior, which seems dumb to me.  It’d be better to keep him around for one more year at $3MM.

Latest Cubs Rumors: Crawford, Crisp, Ibanez

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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 ’08.  Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, or Kerry Wood will close.
  • Rogers also notes that the Cubs will bring Mark Prior back on the condition that he’ll accept an option for the 2009 season.  That way they won’t get burned if he does have a useful 2008.
  • Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs have interest in trading for Carl Crawford.  Problem is, that would require a king’s ransom in young players.  Miles adds that the Cubs are serious about Kosuke Fukudome, and signing him would leave the team with plenty of outfielders.  Phil Rogers echoes the Fukudome interest, also mentioning that the Rangers and Giants like him.
  • Michael Silverman says the Cubs are among several teams interested in Coco Crisp.  Within this piece Silverman says the Rangers are in on Crisp and the Red Sox like expendable catcher Gerald Laird. 
  • Another name on the Cubs’ radar: Raul Ibanez.  He makes $5.5MM in the last year of his deal, though he’s a liability in left field.  And the Cubs have Alfonso Soriano there already.  Larry LaRue also says the Tigers and Indians like Ibanez; the Tribe could offer Aaron Laffey.
  • Not sure why, but the Cubs are also interested in free agent second baseman Kaz Matsui.  Would the plan be to use him at shortstop?  The Padres also have an eye on Matsui.

Dunn, Hatteberg Option Decisions Due Sunday

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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 work (ie, they’ll give him a million or two extra).
  • Hatteberg’s option is for $1.85MM with a $0.15MM buyout.  This is so cheap it’s hard to decline, even if Joey Votto is ready.  The Reds could definitely exercise it and trade Hatteberg at their discretion.  The market for first basemen is weak.
  • Everyday Eddie has a $3MM club option with no apparent buyout.  He didn’t show anything, so I’m guessing the Reds will pass.
  • Valentin’s option is for $1.35MM with a $75K buyout.  I imagine they’ll exercise it.
  • Since we are talking about options, I should add that Moises Alou’s is due on November 15th.  His is for $7.5MM vs. a $1MM buyout.
  • Additionally in that same Fay article, Baker denies any tampering with Kerry Wood or Mark Prior.  They didn’t talk about coming to the Reds, and Baker has spoken to over 40 players since he was hired.

Could Reds Pursue Prior, Wood?

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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 non-tender Prior, who would have to be paid at least $2.86MM otherwise.  I’ve contended that Prior remains worth that small investment for 2008, but De Luca’s sources speculate that he might not be ready until June.  That would change things.  There’s been some speculation that Prior could sign with his hometown Padres if the Cubs cut him loose.

As for Wood, he looked solid in 24 innings after experiencing a miracle recovery.  De Luca suggests that Wood, who is a free agent, would have to go to another team if he desires a chance to start again.  A lot of folks are advocating Wood as some kind of swingman bargain this winter.  I’ve always been a fan of the guy, but counting on/paying him for even 50 innings from him is very risky.

Red Sox Rumors

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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 for one year and $13MM the Sox should do it.
  • Mike Timlin will pitch again but it might be elsewhere.  Timlin hasn’t been with another club since ’02, when he pitched for the Cardinals and Phillies.
  • Matt Clement will depart.  If his tryouts and MRIs come up clean and he can hit 90 mph there will definitely be teams offering him incentivized contracts.  Here’s one I missed from a few weeks ago: the Padres may make a play for him.  Tom Krasovic also throws Mark Prior into the mix for the Friars in that article.  Back in December of ’04, Clement talked with the Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Indians, and Blue Jays before signing with Boston.

Cubs Done With Prior?

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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 rise up out of the ashes and pitch like a fifth starter?  As Wittenmyer writes, they’d have to pay him at least $2.86MM in ’08.  Sullivan speculates that his salary would be close to what it is now, maybe $3.4MM or so.  Let’s say he settles at $3.3MM.

Sometimes we see teams pass on their own players at perfectly reasonable prices, just to try something new.  I hope the Cubs don’t do this here.  All that has happened with Prior, all the hope and disappointment – it’s a sunk cost.  The question is whether the Cubs should invest another $3.3MM in this man to see if he can provide 150 decent innings in 2008.  I think the answer is yes.

His shoulder has been a problem for years, and now it will be clean of dead or scar tissue or whatever other crap has been floating around in there.  The money is a drop in the bucket for the Cubs, and if there’s a 10% chance of getting two seasons of Chris Carpenter-type pitching, they have to do it.

Here is a list of starters who signed for between $3-4MM this offseason: David Wells, Steve Trachsel, Ramon Ortiz, and Tony Armas Jr.  In the offseason I would’ve argued that none of them had a shot at ascending beyond fifth-starterdom, but Ortiz is doing his best to prove that wrong.  Prior fits into this class but has more potential, as frustrating as he is.

Jim Hendry said he is just going to let the rehab process take place and make a decision on Prior down the road.  That’s a perfectly reasonable approach.

Gotham Baseball: Mets and Yankees Rumors

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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 strong indications from another source that a return to Oakland is "very likely" for Mulder, however.  It’ll come down to the dollars: if Mulder takes injury/incentive type money, he goes to Oakland.  Otherwise, the Mets should be the top suitor.

Healey and I are also in agreement on the Mets’ minimal interest in Julio Lugo and their intent to hang onto Lastings Milledge.

Finally, Healey’s sources call for a Tom Glavine/Greg Maddux reunion in Atlanta.  I had heard the same about Glavine, though this weekend’s New York Post mentioned that Glavine doesn’t want to give the Braves a huge discount and Atlanta’s payroll is pretty tight as long as it includes Andruw Jones.

The Hot Stove hasn’t officially begun, but it’s going to be another exciting winter.

UPDATE: Today’s AJC indicates that the Braves would hesitate to pay Glavine even $10MM. 

Will Carroll Was Right…

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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. 

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