Mark Prior is Coming Back from his Comeback and Other Bullets

It was a close game the whole way, but it felt like a relatively boring Super Bowl until the final three minutes. And now, we wait for baseball.

  • Geovany Soto, coming off an ugly 2011 campaign that saw him go .228/.310/.411, is projected to be back among the top offensive catchers in 2012. Rotoworld/NBC’s Matthew Pouliot ranks catchers by projected OPS, and Soto comes in 8th behind Buster Posey, Mike Napoli, Carlos Santana, Matt Wieters, Joe Mauer, Brian McCann and Alex Avila. Pouliot projects a .799 OPS for Soto, which is just below his career .803 number. Soto’s BABIP last year was almost 30 points below his career average, so it’s easy to see how Pouliot goes from a .721 OPS last year to a .799 OPS next year.
  • Mark Prior is still coming back. Prior, 31, hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2006 with the Cubs, and, after minor league efforts with the Cubs, the Padres, the Yankees, and even in independent ball, he’s hoping for another chance to come back in 2012. He actually pitched fairly well last year in the minors, but (1) it was in the low levels, and (2) it was only 12 innings. It sounds like Prior hopes to work out for teams in March. I give him credit for continuing to try.
  • Ready to start speculating about Joey Votto to the Cubs in 2014? Me either. But some folks are. At least the writer acknowledges that it depends on Anthony Rizzo. Either way, I don’t really see the Cubs going to the mat on an eight-year, $200 million contract for a 30-year old first baseman. But even saying that seems ridiculous, because it’s two years from now(!) Who knows what the Cubs’ plans will be?
  • Tom Ricketts will be speaking at a lunch at the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce a week from today. Somebody get him to talk about the Cubs’ total baseball budget.
  • Seen as, perhaps, the favorite in the NL Central this year, the Reds come in ranked just 12th in Phil Rogers’ pre-season power rankings. A good offense that returns almost in total, a greatly improved rotation after the addition of Mat Latos (and possibly Chapman to the rotation), and a bullpen now with Sean Marshall and Ryan Madsen at the end? That’s a team barely better than average?
  • The Braves have unveiled a new logo, and, whatever the reaction to the Marlins’ new logo was, the reaction here will be the exactly opposite. Something on the order of: oh, ok. That’s fine. Here you go:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Cubs Farm Report | May 16, 2024: Brennan Davis Goes Yard in Iowa Loss

    Brennan Davis' fifth home run of the season was not enough for the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday as they fell to the Syracuse Mets in a rain-shortened affair. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Joe Buck is Returning to the Booth to Call a Cubs-Cardinals Game

    I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong Put on a Show, and Continues to Make a Strong Case for Continued Playing Time

    Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...

    Northwestern Returns to Wrigley Field TWICE This Fall

    Northwestern will be making a return to Wrigley Field not just once this season, but twice! Due to the construction of their brand new football stadium, the Cats will be playing five of their seven home games at its temporary...

    Impressive Fill-In Guys, Bullpen Health, Roberts, Javy, and Other Cubs Bullets

    The Cubs come back home from the Pittsburgh-Atlanta road trip having split it 3-3, and I gotta say, that's a pretty solid outcome when (1) you're facing Jones and Skenes, (2) you're playing three in Atlanta where they'd lost just...

    Brennen Davis Homered Again, Back-to-Back with B.J. Murray Jr. (Whom We Should Discuss)

    Just about as soon as I could talk about how Brennen Davis had homered for the third time in four games, he homered AGAIN, making it four times in five games. And this time, just for fun, B.J. Murray Jr....

    Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Beat the Braves to Salvage the Series

    The Chicago Cubs' bats finally came alive last night in Atlanta, albeit with a little bit of help from Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton. On the other side, Javier Assad was brilliant once again. Good win. Needed win. Enjoy the...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Braves 1 – May 15, 2024

    The Cubs took the lead on the very first pitch of the game and didn't look back. They needed that. I needed that. Offense up and down the lineup. Two extra-base hits for Seiya Suzuki. Three times on base for...

    Curt Casali Has Opted Out of His Cubs Deal and is Already Starting Tonight for the Giants

    There's fast, and then there's Curt Casali fast. Er, well, not his basepath speed, but the speed with which he went from catching at Triple-A Iowa for the Cubs to starting behind the plate tonight for the Giants in San...

    Mike Tauchman Ends the Cubs Scoreless Streak on the First Pitch of the Game!

    The Cubs scored exactly zero runs in their last 18 innings in Atlanta. But Mike Tauchman did not let that streak continue long tonight. On the first pitch of the game, Tauchman lifted one over the left field wall for...

    Latest News

    Dodgers vs. Reds Probable Starting Pitchers – May 16

    The Cincinnati Reds (18-25) kick off a four-game series on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-16). The contest starts at 10:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Dodgers will send Tyler Glasnow (6-1)...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 16, 2024: Brennan Davis Goes Yard in Iowa Loss

    Brennan Davis' fifth home run of the season was not enough for the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday as they fell to the Syracuse Mets in a rain-shortened affair. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Astros vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Houston Astros (18-25) host the Oakland Athletics (19-26) at 8:10 PM ET Thursday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Kyle Tucker has racked up 13 homers this season (No. 1 in the...

    Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Chicago Cubs (25-19) are favorites (-126) on the moneyline when they square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (19-25) Thursday at 7:40 PM ET, live on MARQ.Chicago's Justin Steele and Pittsburgh's Jared Jones have been named the starters for this...

    Yes! EA Sports College Football 25 Has A Release Date!

    Last week, I wrote about the leaked cover for the deluxe edition of EA Sports College Football 25. This week, the game has an official cover and an official release date! The long-awaited return of EA Sports’ college football video...

    Joe Buck is Returning to the Booth to Call a Cubs-Cardinals Game

    I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...

    Party’s Over? Michael Block Having Rough Go Of It In Round 1 Of The PGA Championship

    It appears we won't be getting a repeat performance from last year's PGA Championship darling Michael Block. The club pro from Mission Viejo, California had an epic underdog run during last year's event at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester....

    Pete Crow-Armstrong Put on a Show, and Continues to Make a Strong Case for Continued Playing Time

    Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...

    Phillies vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Philadelphia Phillies (31-13) roll into Thursday's matchup with the New York Mets (19-23) looking to extend a three-game winning streak. The contest starts at 6:40 PM ET on MLB Network with the Phillies listed as -144 favorites on the...

    Red Sox vs. Rays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    Bookmakers declined to choose a favorite for Thursday's matchup between the Boston Red Sox (22-21) and the Tampa Bay Rays (22-22), with both teams equal on the moneyline. The teams will take to the field at 7:10 PM ET, live...

    more cubs news