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Chicago Cubs Pitcher Mark Prior Re-signs By: F.R. Penn

After many trips through the rumor mill, Mark Prior accepted the Chicago Cubs'
offer on January 27 to a one-year, $3.65 million contract. That is $900,000 more than
Forgot Password? New the salary he would have earned under the contract he voided in November. Since
User? Prior's definitive season in 2003 (18-6), he has cooled off somewhat, and has only
managed to go 17-11 over the past two seasons. The Cubs were within five outs of
reaching the World Series in 2003, due, in part, to Prior's performance. A sore elbow
put him on the disabled list early last season, and when he entered the normal
rotation again, he was hit on the same elbow by a scorching line drive. He finished
Home Based Business the 2005 season going 11-7 with a 3.67 ERA over 27 games.
Health & Fitness
Arts & Entertainment The Chicago Cubs' pitcher, whose name has been mentioned as possible trade bait
Loans this off-season, said that he was not too upset at the rumors because he figured they
Small Business were just that -- rumors. Rumor had it that he was going to the Philadelphia Phillies
Alternative Medicine in exchange for outfielder Bobby Abreu, but that wasn't to be. During the holidays,
Business he was supposed to be traded to Baltimore for shortstop Miguel Tejada. That also did
Vehicles not happen. "It's part of the game," Prior said. "Obviously, when somebody requests
Religion a trade, a team has to look into it. I don't really validate the rumors a whole lot
Internet Marketing unless I hear that '[general manager] Jim Hendry' says or '[team president] Andy
Weight Loss MacPhail says' or '[manager] Dusty [Baker] says' -- otherwise, they're just rumors. It
Pets seems like there are a lot of MLB sources this year. Unless somebody calls me up
Beauty and says, 'Hey, we're serious about doing this,' there's not a whole lot for me to think
Marketing about because I don't have a whole lot to say."
Relationships
If the fans had any say in it, Prior would never wear another uniform besides his
View all Categories Cubs No. 22 jersey. When the right-hander was introduced to the crowd jammed
inside the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago during opening ceremonies for the
21st Cubs Convention, he was greeted with the chant, "No trade, no trade." Most
Cubs fans remember that Prior's 10 strikeouts in his very first start was the most by
Submit any Cubs pitcher in over 30 years. "I've never been ticked or anything," Prior said. "I
felt if anything was going to be done, somebody would've called me and said
something. Otherwise, it was business as usual. I was obviously going to pitch for
somebody this season, and I had to get ready."

There was also a rumor that Prior decided to void the last year of his contract
because he was angry at the Cubs. That also was not true. "That was something that
was written in the contract," he said of his ability to be eligible for arbitration. "That
was in the negotiations five years ago. We felt it was fair at the time. It was basically
the last two years [of the contract] - if I'm eligible for arbitration, I have the privilege
to go to arbitration." Prior will make more money in 2006 thanks to this foresight.

"I've been spending this off season trying to iron out some things and correct some
habits that I fell into because of what happened with my elbow," Prior said. "One
thing I did learn, and after I've been reflecting, is how fortunate and valuable the
time is when you're healthy. At any moment, anything can happen. "The other day I
was home watching [NFL quarterback] Drew Brees get hurt, and I see Carson
Palmer go down two plays into the game. It's a very fragile existence from that
standpoint." He's well aware of the business side of baseball, too. "As far as
 everything I've heard, they weren't dangling me out there and trying to get rid of
me," Prior said. He'd like to stay with the Cubs. "I love playing here. I have no desire
to leave," he said. "I love playing in the city of Chicago; I love this town. I don't
think I could've been as fortunate as I was to fall here out of college. Not too many
people get the luxury of coming to a city like Chicago. It's a great city, a great town
and I love being here. It's a great town to play baseball in."

Prior had become arbitration eligible when he used his option to void the final year
of his original contract signed in 2001. Under the original terms, he was to make
$2.75 million this year. Prior had asked for $4 million, while the Cubs countered
with an offer of $3.3 million. Arbitration arrived at the $3.65 million figure. "We're
certainly glad to have it done," said Cubs' general manager Jim Hendry. "Our stance
is always to try to work with the representative, John Boggs, to a conclusion of
fairness to avoid the process if we can. This was something we wanted to do, and
hopefully Mark will have a great 2006."

Other current Cubs arbitration-eligible players include infielder Jerry Hairston,

outfielder Juan Pierre, and pitchers Will Ohman and Carlos Zambrano. Cubs' general
manager Jim Hendry and team president Andy MacPhail have never gone to
arbitration with a player. Hendry said he is continuing to negotiate with the players'
representatives in hopes of reaching an agreement.

Players with at least three years seniority in the Major Leagues, plus the longest
active 17 percent of those with between two and three years service, are eligible for
salary arbitration. Mark Prior, for example, now has three years, 131 days of Major
League service time.

How does arbitration work? Players and teams exchange figures, and if no
agreement is reached between the two, the case is referred to an arbitrator. Pierre, 28,
whom the Cubs acquired from the Florida Marlins for three Minor League pitchers,
made $3.7 million in 2005. He is coming off a season in which he hit .276 with two
homers, 47 RBIs and 57 stolen bases in 162 games. The center fielder asked for $6.5
million, while the Cubs offered $5 million.

Cubs' pitcher Zambrano earned $3.76 million last season and led the Cubs in wins
with 14. He established career highs in starts (33), innings pitched (223 1/3) and
strikeouts (202). Zambrano asked for $7.2 million, while the Cubs countered with an
offer of $6 million. In his first season with the Cubs, Hairston, 29, made $1.8 million
last season. He batted .261, hit four homers, 25 doubles and had 30 RBI. Hairston
requested $2.6 million in 2006, while the Cubs offered $1.95 million. Ohman, 28, is
seeking $775,000, while the Cubs offered $500,000. Ohman, who has three years, 40
days of Major League service time, made $320,000 in 2005 in his return to the big
leagues. The left-hander, who has spent much time on the disabled list because of
three elbow surgeries, was 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 69 games.

About the author:

This article was written by F.R. Penn sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com. If
you're looking for online sports tickets for the next baseball game, look no further
than Stubhub.com where fans buy and sell the hottest tickets. Reproductions of this
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