Texas Rangers To Sign Mark Prior

Added on Sep 03, 2010 by Evan Walker in

MLB

Remember Mark Prior?

Do you remember that Cubs phenom who pitched over 200 innings with a 2.43 ERA at the age of 22 and finished third in the Cy Young voting?

Apparently, Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers remember.

The Rangers have agreed to sign Prior to a minor league deal, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Before Strasburg, there was Prior. Both were named “future superstars” before they ever pitched in the majors and both lived up to the high expectations early in their careers.

Unfortunately, these two have something else in common.

Prior has been plagued by shoulder injuries his entire career and Strasburg is on the same slippery slope.

The Rangers say that the deal is more about the long term and not just adding an arm for the last few weeks of the season.

Who can blame them?

It may seem like forever since anybody has seen Prior in the majors (4 years exactly,) but he is still only 29 years old and if everyone deserves a second chance, then why can’t Mark Prior deserve a 5th?

Prior has pitched in an independent league for the Orange County Flyers since August 3rd. He has allowed one earned run over nine relief appearances (11 innings) with 22 strikeouts and five walks.

Maybe signing Prior is somewhat of a gamble and maybe he will only last a few weeks in the minors before ending up in the doctor’s office reading a back issue ”Better Home and Garden,” but the Rangers think that the other half of the “Chicago Heat” still has a little fire in him and they are willing to take that chance.