Martin Prado

Prado has two things going for him: a high contact rate and durability. Last season, the latter was tested as Prado only played in 37 games. His woes started early, as he suffered a Grade 1 hamstring tear in the World Baseball Classic. Prado returned in mid-April, only to re-injure the hamstring a couple weeks later, putting him on the shelf until June 23. Prado played almost a month before landing back on the DL with a right knee sprain, ultimately requiring season-ending arthroscopic surgery. It's hard to judge a season on only 147 plate appearances, but Prado posted his lowest contact rate since his rookie season, albeit a still impressive 84 percent. Assuming he is healthy, he'll return to a bevy of new faces in the Marlins' clubhouse, and may have to move to left field to make way for prospect Brian Anderson at third base. His already vapid batting average is destined to be even more so, with fewer runs and RBI. Prado is an NL-only option at best, and even then, you'll want to be on the lookout for an upgrade.

It's said every year, but Prado's skill set is better suited for the real game than fantasy. His primary fantasy contribution is a solid batting average, but in today's landscape, more is usually required from hitter who's only eligible at third base, unless a roster is constructed in a manner to drop a hitter of Prado's ilk into corner or utility in the end game. He continues to sport stellar contact skills, and eclipsed the .300 plateau last season for the first time since 2012. Speaking to his consistency, Prado has garnered at least 500 plate appearances for eight consecutive seasons, hitting at least .282 in all but one. However, his power has slipped into single-digit home run territory, and fantasy players can count his expected steals on their thumbs. Assuming he remains high in the order, the veteran will score some runs, but even that is tempered by a mediocre walk rate, as evidenced by crossing the plate more than 80 times only twice in his career, last done in 2012.

At one point, Prado was a safe player to roster as he played multiple positions and had a rather high floor due to his high contact skills at the plate. These days, he’s no longer a multiple-position player and enters 2016 as a light-hitting 3B only player without any upside. He still hits for a solid average, but his power indicators are trending in the wrong direction and he’s now the James Loney of third basemen. The upside is that he should hit in the top half of the Miami lineup assuming they do not trade him somewhere in the final year of his deal. The downside is it is tough to roster a third baseman that doesn’t hit 15+ homers unless he hits .320 and Prado hasn’t done that since 2008. He’ll be there in dollar days in mixed leagues if you feel so inclined but let someone else reach for him.

Prado’s overall 2014 production was nearly identical to his 2013 production, and that is not a good thing. He was traded to the Yankees over the summer and his bat was revived with New York, as he went on to hit .316/.336/.541 in the 137 plate appearances he had before his season ended after an emergency appendectomy. One thing that helped his 2014 numbers was he mashed lefties at a .366/.398/.580 clip, but that is an outlier for him. One thing to watch for is that his numbers against righties have declined for three consecutive seasons. Prado is a non-sexy pick for the endgame as he is a decent bet for 10 homers, a .280 average, and he qualifies at both second and third base on draft day. However, the move to Marlins Park will only hurt his power numbers, so the only upside in his selection is what happens with his BABIP.

Prado ended up having a nice season in Arizona following the trade that sent Justin Upton to Atlanta. He had a rough first half, but really came on late in the season, hitting .374 in August. There is talk of a positional change for Prado, possibly to make room for Matt Davidson at third, but his multiple position eligibility should remain, making him very valuable. Regardless of how the D-Backs decide to make all of the pieces fit, Prado should see an everyday supply of at-bats again in 2014.

After playing in the outfield most of the last two years, Prado was the Braves' top choice to fill the third-base role following Chipper Jones' retirement. When the opportunity to acquire Justin Upton arose, he was deemed expendable as he was included in the blockbuster deal with Arizona and subsequently signed a four-year deal with the D-Backs. Prado figures to serve as the primary third baseman this season, but his bat can play anywhere – he has had an above-.300 batting average three of the last four seasons and shows a good ability to score runs near the top of the lineup. He also added a new facet to his game in 2012, stealing 17 bases. Prado won't provide much power, but his versatility, ability to hit for average and score runs along with the potential for some extra stolen bases make him a great player to own.

Prado's move to the outfield was a failure last season as he hit just .260/.302/.385 with 13 home runs. He did miss time in June after surgery for a staph infection in his leg, which could have impacted his performance the rest of the season. However, his move to the outfield was always risky as even at his 2010 production his bat went from being an asset in the infield to average in the outfield. Luckily, he did play 42 games at third base to still qualify at one infield position in most leagues. There are reasons to think he'll improve in 2012 as he had the same walk rate last year as 2010, reduced his strikeouts and had a low BABIP of .267. Prado was mentioned in trade rumors all winter and he could be moved if the Braves want to upgrade in left field. A trade that would move him back to second base would increase his fantasy value, so watch out for that possibility. In the meantime, he'll begin the season as Atlanta's starting left fielder.

Prado continued to improve at the plate last season as he hit a career-high 15 home runs, made his first All-Star Game and finished seventh in the NL batting race. He's gone from a utility player in 2008, to regular in the lineup in 2009, to hitting in key spots (leadoff, third) in the lineup last year. Prado makes good contact and has surprising power, plus he can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield. He began last season at second base and moved to third base after Chipper Jones' knee injury. The Braves might use him in left field, where his bat will be less of an asset, but he more likely starts at third base for at least the first part of the season until Jones returns from a knee injury. He'll likely be used across the infield in any scenario. He missed the last week of September and the playoffs after suffering a hip pointer and torn oblique muscle, but is expected to be at full strength by the start of spring training. He'll qualify at second base and third base for fantasy owners wherever he ends up playing or batting in the order, and could deliver a big season in his prime at age 27 this season.

Prado showed his breakout 2008 season was no fluke as he hit .307/.358/.464 with 11 home runs. He began the season in a utility role (he'll qualify at third base and first base in many leagues) but took over regular duty at second base for the second half of the season after Kelly Johnson struggled. Prado makes good contact and showed surprising power, and he enters 2010 as Atlanta's everyday second baseman.

At just age 25 in 2009, it may be time to start taking Prado seriously as a possible starter even though he wasn't a highly touted prospect with his bat in the minors. He hit .346/.391/.474 once he moved into a regular role after Aug. 1. He impressed enough that the Braves considered trading Yunel Escobar or Kelly Johnson in the offseason knowing Prado could move into a starting role. He'll have upside even in a reserve role with the oft-injured Chipper Jones at third base.

Prado will try to win a job as a utility infielder with Atlanta next spring. He's got a strong glove and can play second or third base, but doesn't offer much power or plate discipline. His lack of speed makes him a poor option for fantasy purposes.

Late last season there was talk about Prado as a possible starter at second base, but his track record at the plate shows that wouldn't be a wise decision. He hasn't shown an ability to draw a walk and has had minimal power. He does have a good glove, however. He'll likely compete for a utility job with the Braves this spring.

Prado hit .280/.354/.364 after being promoted to Double-A Mississippi last summer. He's seen as a strong fielder at second base, so he could get consideration for a big league job with a strong showing at Triple-A early next season.