Mark Prior has shoulder trouble. The Cubs say he will miss the next 7-10 days of spring training, calling it a “moderate strain.” A followup article says Prior is “likely open the season on the disabled list for the third straight year.”

Cubs blog 1060west thinks the situation is much more serious, and begins looking at the starting rotation of “zambrano, maddux, rusch, williams and a minor league pitcher for what will probably be the first third of the season.”

Commenter Dusty Baylor writes:

I’ll tell you what though, [Sergio] Mitre was never a savior, but he’d look awfully attractive as the 5th starter right now, of course the Cubs would be yanking him in and out of the rotation to the ‘pen, so maybe it’s better for him that he’s in florida.

Indeed. The Mitre Curse is already upon us, my friends, and the season hasn’t even started yet.

UPDATE: The latest rumor now is that the Cubs finally have a good reason to do what they’ve been wanting to do all off-season — trade Todd Walker. Perhaps they will find a team willing to hand over a decent starting pitcher in return; I’ve got at least two suggestions: Matt Clement or Sergio Mitre. But an even more remote miracle would be to talk Roger Clemens into re-signing with the Astros, only to be immediately traded to the Cubs for Walker, a wad of cash and a “prospect” to be determined later (*ahem* Rich Hill *cough*).