One half of the infamous, “Chicago Heat,” duo will now be competing in sunny San Diego. On Wednesday the San Diego Padres inked Mark Prior to a one year contract worth one million dollars. The 27 year old also can receive 4.5 million dollars in incentives if he stays healthy. As a member of the Chicago Cubs Mark Prior went 42-29, going alongside a 3.51 ERA with 757 strikeouts. The most glaring statistic however is the amount of innings pitched, just 657 inked (As a starting pitcher) over 5 seasons. Prior had missed the entire 2007 season after a surgery on his right arm.

“I’m looking forward to this season,” Prior commented. “I’m sure there are going to be some ups and downs, some bad starts and good starts, but I think this is going to be a great summer.”

“I think it’s a great day for the Padres and for Mark,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It strengthens an already strong pitching staff. Whenever he’s able to take the mound, we feel we have an impact guy to step in and help our staff.”

Wherever Mark Prior goes, he won’t escape his mechanical problems. Petco Park is a great pitcher’s park, his family is located in San Diego and Prior’s high school was in San Diego. This may all benefit Prior if he stays healthy, but that’s a tremendous if. Prior’s career may still be revamped even after his dissapointing tenure as a Chicago Cub. Jason Isringhausen was a member of the infamous, “Generation K,” in the mid nineties in which prized prospects Isringhausen, Paul Wilson and Bill Pulsipher all went down with injuries despite high praise from scouts.  However Isringhausen turned his career around after leaving New York, going on to rack up 280 career saves. Prior may be similar, in that he just needed to leave Chicago to find Major League success.

In 2008 Prior will show the Padres organization and the baseball world exactly what he’s made of.