Exactly. Unless he is going to cost very little, and agree to a one-year contract with a team option, I wouldn't gamble on him.
I've been hearing he is barely touching 80mph right now. Don't gotta link, so take that with a grain of salt.
Prior wouldn't be ready to go until two months into the season, and that's IF he doesn't hit any bumps in his rehab.
I lived in Chicago and had to watch him play the past few years (or not play). I don't like the idea but I wouldnt mind a one year deal or something. He has a lot to prove to people and this might be what he needs.
Kerry Wood is the one with horrible mechanics. Prior has just been the victim of freak injury after freak injury and has had his career ruined.
Well, we've contacted his agent among other non-tenders (wonder who else): http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5377893.html Astros turn their focus to Prior Twins pick up shortstop Everett with one-year deal By BRIAN MCTAGGART Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Astros general manager Ed Wade said Thursday the club has contacted the agent for righthander Mark Prior, who became a free agent when the Chicago Cubs chose to non-tender his contract Wednesday night. Prior, the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, has seen his once-promising career slowed by multiple injuries. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in April and missed all of last season. Prior finished third in the National League Cy Young voting in 2003 after going 18-6 with a 4.24 ERA. His career record is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA. "We talked to his (agent) to see what the lay of the land was," Wade said. "I don't know where it's going to lead. There's a lot of teams that have contacted them, and there was some discussions on the medical stats and that type of thing. I don't know where it's headed." Clubs faced an 11 p.m. deadline Wednesday to offer contracts to players who didn't already have contracts for 2008. The only player non-tendered by the Astros was shortstop Adam Everett, who became expendable when they acquired Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles in a six-player trade Wednesday. Everett, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins and is expected to be their starter at shortstop. He hit .232 for the Astros last season before missing the majority of the second half of the season after breaking his leg in a collision with Carlos Lee. Wade said the Astros have contacted a couple of the players who were non-tendered. "We'll see if we may be able to be a beneficiary with that process," he said.
I was aware of Wood's horrible mechanics but had heard the same about Prior. Perhaps I remembered wrong, but perhaps I didn't, as Triplicate has posted some commentary about Prior's mechanics and breaking the hands with the elbows.
Prior was considered to have good mechanics according to broadcasters when I watched Cubs games when he first came up. I don't know if his mechanics changed or whether people started noticing flaws in his mechanics because they have caused him arm issues.
Closing is no easier on the arm than starting. A lot of times it's harder since you have to warm up faster and pitch back to back days.
Well, that may be true, but that doesn't mean that changing roles won't help. Lidge was originally brought up as a starter, but after a string of injuries slowed his progression through the system, they moved him to the bullpen where he flourished.
