Prior would only be a thorn in our side

Talk of the possibility of signing Mark Prior after he was not tendered a contract earlier this week has heated up now that Kuroda has signed a 3-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many seem to think that signing Prior would be one of those low risk, high reward types of scenarios when, in fact, it is moderate risk with minimal or no reward. The Kane County Chronicle out of Illinois reports that "Prior, still recovering from mid-April arthroscopic shoulder surgery, will likely miss some, if not all, of the 2008 season – forced the Cubs’ decision."

This claim is backed up by Rotoworld who says, "Prior was non-tendered by the Cubs earlier this week and likely won't be ready to pitch until several months into the season following shoulder surgery."

I'm not sure about this, but my gut tells me that the Mariner fans who are pushing for Prior are not privy to these details. If they are indeed aware of the extent of Prior's injuries, I'm baffled as to why they would still call upon management to sign him...

What are we supposed to think if the M's inked Prior? If we signed him, does that mean we expect him to be in our rotation? Would we lose our vigor (if we have any) in pursuing other options?

The bottom line is that we have two rotation spots that we need to fill so that we don't have to call upon Ho, Dickey, and Feierabend Associates. If we signed Prior, we would STILL have two rotation spots that we would need to fill! There is absolutely no sense in pursuing a pitcher who may not even pitch next season. To show you just how hopeless he is for next season, you need not look any farther than the fact that the Cubs declined to offer him salary arbitration where he would have made about $3 million. Even the Cubs, who considered Prior to be the future of the organization, cut ties with him.

This prior has fallen off the rosebush. We are best to let it lay upon the ground and be trampled by the busy footsteps of general managers frantically looking for pitchers...