So Mark Mulder Isn’t Looking for a Major-League Contract
Mark Mulder’s comeback apparently won’t take place with the San Francisco Giants.
Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
A little over a week ago, Mark Mulder made a stirring announcement that he was attempting a comeback. Mulder hasn’t thrown a pitch since the 2008 season and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2005.
And now that we’ve had time to let that sink in, it appears that the San Francisco Giants checked in on the former A’s and Cardinals pitcher.
According to two different reports, Mulder was seeking a major-league deal.
Report #1, via Twitter as you can see, is from John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle:
Sabean on Mulder: "The short version, he's looking for more than we can provide, including a major-league contract.":
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 17, 2013
Report #2 is from Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area, quoting Giants GM Brian Sabean:
"“But the short version is he’s looking for more than we could provide, including a major league contract,” Sabean said."
Now there seems to be some sort of disagreement here. Not between Shea and Baggarly. They both quote Sabean pretty much on the same level here. No, the disagreement might be between Shea’s quote of Sabean and Mulder.
@JohnSheaHey @susanslusser I am?
— Mark Mulder (@markmulder20) December 18, 2013
Don’t know how Susan Slusser got into this…
As of yet, Shea has not offered a response to Mulder, but he has re-tweeted Mulder’s “response”. I doubt we hear anything from Sabena either.
As Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk explains, it would be hard for any of the 30 teams to offer a 40-man spot to Mulder because he “hasn’t been healthy and effective in the same season since 2005”. I’ll add that the very fact Mulder hasn’t pitched since ’08 as reason enough to not offer a 40-man spot.
So Mulder contends that he has not requested such – and who are we to question him. So my question: What’s the harm in seeing what he’s got? It’s practically no risk with all the potential reward. And even if Mulder doesn’t make it back this year, who’s to say that a year in the minors isn’t what may work out for the best anyway.
Then again, this could all be a game of he said, he said.
And those usually lead to nowhere.
Although, I do like Slusser’s take on this:
@mjoven1975 @markmulder20 I always believe Mark when the topic is Mark. He's kind of an expert.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 18, 2013