Miami Marlins to Extend Veteran Martin Prado
On the heels of an emotional night down in South Beach, the Miami Marlins and veteran utility man Martin Prado have agreed to a three-year, $40 MM extension.
Once the deal is finalized, it will kick in at the start of the 2017 season and the 32-year-old Martin Prado will remain in Miami through the 2019 season. News of the extension was first reported by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
While this is certainly a win-win for both the Miami Marlins and Prado, it will be extremely hard for either party to celebrate the extension during this grieving period following the tragic and untimely death of 24-year-old superstar Jose Fernandez.
Last night’s game was honestly one of the warmest yet most heart-wrenching experiences ever witnessed in a professional sports event, and Prado was noticeably one of the many Marlins players overtaken with emotion who struggled to get through yesterdays somber ball game.
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Prado, a native of Venezula, is one of the most blue-collared and respected veterans in the game today. He became a member of the Marlins prior to the 2015 season when the Yankees traded him and teammate David Phelps to Miami for Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and Domingo German. Prior to that, he spent time with both the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prado is a versatile defender capable of playing a plethora of positions, and has spent a majority of his time with the Marlins over at third base.
On the offensive side of the diamond, Prado has consistently provided above average numbers at the big league level. This season the nifty veteran is slashing .305/.360/.415 with seven home runs and 72 RBI.
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While Prado will no longer test the open market, third base free-agents-to-be like Justin Turner and Luis Valbuena should benefit from Prado’s extension, giving them a new benchmark off of which to negotiate.