The Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League signed Mark Prior, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Coincidentally, the signing comes one year after the Padres released Prior. The 29-year-old didn't appear in a game with San Diego and hasn't seen any big league action since 2006.
Prior, the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, auditioned for MLB teams last month, but his stuff was "just all right," according to one veteran scout. It's been a long time since Prior pitched to a 2.43 ERA in 200-plus innings as a 22-year-old, so he'll join the Golden League instead of a major league organization. A number of big leaguers, including Daniel Nava and Scott Richmond have climbed from the Golden League to the major leagues. Now, Prior will attempt to prove the health of his right shoulder and do the same.
