Prior Optioned to Iowa Along with Cherry and Pagan

Updated - 8:11pm C.T. with Injury Updates, the 2007 Roster, the Opening Day Lineup and Bobby Brownlie released....

The Cubs announced on Wednesday they optioned Mark Prior, Rocky Cherry and Angel Pagan to Triple-A Iowa and all but finalized the 25-man roster for Opening Day. With the latest round of cuts the Cubs spring roster stands at 28 but Kerry Wood, Juan Mateo and Buck Coats should start the year on the DL. Lou Piniella also announced his opening day lineup, according to a report on FoxSports.com.

After Piniella announced on Tuesday that Wade Miller would be the 5th starter for the Cubs when the season started the only questions left to be answered about Mark Prior were would he be sent down to the minors or put on the DL and left behind in Mesa for extended spring training. Rocky Cherry and Angel Pagan should figure into the Cubs plans for 2007. Cherry had a very good spring and Pagan gives Piniella and his staff a lot of options off the bench.

A report in the Chicago Tribune on Monday night said Prior would be put on the DL but being sent to Iowa to pitch is a much better alternative....at least he is pitching, whether it is called rehab assignment or not. The Cubs claim Prior is healthy and just needs time to build up his arm strength.

While there are technically still 28 players on the Cubs spring roster all of the cuts have been made. Juan Mateo "has a right shoulder impingement and has just started throwing off of flat ground," according to a report on Cubs.com. Buck Coats had "an MRI that revealed a cyst in the back of Coats' right knee, and it was to be removed," according to the same report on Cubs.com. Kerry Wood's problems have been well documented and he will start the season on the DL.

The 2007 Chicago Cubs 25-man Opening Day Roster....

Pitchers

Neal Cotts
Ryan Dempster
Scott Eyre
Angel Guzman
Rich Hill
Bobby Howry
Ted Lilly
Jason Marquis
Wade Miller
Will Ohman
Michael Wuertz
Carlos Zambrano

Catchers

Michael Barrett
Henry Blanco

Infielders

Ronny Cedeno
Mark DeRosa
Cesar Izturis
Derrek Lee
Aramis Ramirez
Ryan Theriot
Daryle Ward

Outfielders

Cliff Floyd
Jacque Jones
Matt Murton
Alfonso Soriano

The Opening Day Lineup in Cincinnati....

Alfonso Soriano - CF
Matt Murton - LF
Derrek Lee - 1B
Aramis Ramirez - 3B
Jacque Jones - RF
Michael Barrett - C
Mark DeRosa - 2B
Cesar Izturis - SS
Carlos Zambrano - P

The Cubs 1st round draft pick in 2002, Bobby Brownlie was released on Tuesday. Brownlie never blossomed into the pitcher everyone thought he would be. After a rough spring training in 2006 with the big league club, he was started the year in Iowa (AAA) and was 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA in 8 games before being demoted to West Tenn (AA) where he finished the season with a 3-11 record and a 5.64 ERA in 33 games.

Well....that's the latest, check back for Shaun's recap from the Rockies/Cubs game earlier today at HoHoKam....

nick

I like the move with Prior, get him more innings and get his confidence (along with MPH) up and hopefully he'll be ready. Jim I agree I love having Lou in the dugout. Can't wait for the season to start.

Steve

I forgot what it was like have a manager with a backbone. Piniella and the Cubs made the right decision with Prior. He is not ready and is not going to be babied anymore. Its best for him. He'll get a chance to build up some arm strength and get some much needed confidence back.

Mordecai Brown

Sending Prior to Iowa is the best thing for the team and for Prior himself. After a month of strain and little gain, his arm appears dead. 87 mph isn't going to cut it in the major leagues and is no sure winner in 3A. This way, either he snaps back to being the 2003 Prior and helps the Cubs or he doesn't work out and can go the way of Bobby Brownlie. The same is essentially true for Wood, except he is a real longshot now. He made the right decision not to undergo surgery again last winter. His arm must look like a relief map of the Great Wall of China; more cutting seems unlikely to help.

Now the Cubs are showing some genuine new spirit instead of waiting around for Prior and Wood to bail them out. We may not win it all this year, but we certainly won't stumble home dead last and thirty games under .500.

Jim (Tinley Park)

A few thoughts....

* Floyd and Soriano looked terrible in the field today. We will score a lot of runs but that outfield defense makes me cringe.

* Sorry to see Pagan sent down,the guy brings a lot to the table.

* I love Lou so far, no coddling, no excuses, no

"dude, it is what it is."

* Iowa should have a kick ass team in AAA.