The most intriguing name that has come up in trade talk with the Cubs is veteran pitcher Mark Prior, who missed all of 2007 because of shoulder surgery. Prior is a San Diego native, and the Padres seem to have interest. The Cubs have until Dec. 12 to offer Prior a contract. If they don't, he will become a free agent. If the Cubs do tender Prior a contract, they can't cut his salary any more than 20 percent of the $3.575 million he made this year. Ideally, the Cubs would like to sign Prior to a one-year deal with a club option because he can become a free agent next fall. "I'll treat Mark just like I would everyone else," Hendry said. "I'll always do what I think is in the best interest of the ballclub. We certainly haven't made any final decisions of what we think is best for the club. It's just one of those spots that you're in." "We had a nice chat. We brought him in for the playoffs in Arizona. There's no negative issues with Mark."