Comments on: Padres Snag Prior

By: Marc Schneider

Marc Schneider — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:59:18 +0000

I know it’s the market and all but I can’t help smiling at the notion that a guy is disappointed to be making “only” $1 million when he is 27 years old.

Having said that, I would have liked for the Braves to take a flyer although there was probably no way he would come to Atlanta except for a lot more money. I think the Braves need to collect as many arms as possible and this guy might have a lot of upside.

By: Brandon Heikoop

Brandon Heikoop — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:37:23 +0000

This is a tough situation either way you look at it. The first, most ML front offices have proven to be idiots. Year after year they hand out massive contracts to a player who performed at a level of high quality for a single season or less. The second, how another team did not offer Prior $1M with far more in incentives is beyond me. I suppose this relates more to my first point, but even with a home town discount, why any team in the AL didn’t give him $1 or 2M guaranteed with up to $10M in bonus money and a couple of option years attached to various achievements is beyond me.

The only way I can rationalize this, is that the Padres were the only team to offer him a true one year deal. That, and maybe he has a Roger Clemens deal where he doesn’t have to go on road trips that he isn’t pitching in.

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:41:03 +0000

I think one of the reasons Prior picked the Padres is their extremely pitcher-friendly park. It should deflate his ERA a bit regardless, and help him land a bigger deal for 2009 and beyond.

I really don’t think he cared about the money for 2008. He just picked the best place for him to make the most money afterwards.

A smart move on both sides, I think.