Thursday, January 31, 2013
Impact of Prado's extension
By Jason A. Churchill
The Arizona Diamondbacks, as suspected and reported at the time of the trade with the Atlanta Braves last week, have signed Martin Prado to a 4-year extension. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports the deal being worth $40 million.
Prado will serve as the D-backs third baseman, a position he's familiar with and is capable of handling. The domino effect could reach one of the club's top prospects, Matt Davidson. The 21-year-old spent last season at Double-A Mobile, hitting .261/.367/.469 with 23 home runs.
The former first-round draft pick (No. 35 overall in 2009) is believed to be within a year or so of the big leagues -- though not a sure thing to develop into an above-average regular -- but will need an injury or a trade to see regular playing time at the major-league level in 2013. Prado is also capable at second base and in left field, but the club appears set in the outfield and Aaron Hill is a player GM Kevin Towers and company would like to keep around beyond 2013 when his contract expires.
If Hill were to leave, Prado could slide over to second and Davidson could be next in line at the hot corner. The clubs top offensive prospect could also end up at first base, though that might be a waste of a capable defender at third and Davidson may not profile well offensively on that side of the diamond.
It's never a given that a player is sent packing due to a blockade at his position, but it appears the Diamondbacks have plans that suggest he could be the next young player traded out of the desert.
