Jon Heyman reports that 14-year veteran Martín Prado “has told friends he will likely retire.”
Seems about that time as Prado hit a mere .233/.265/.294 with two home runs and 15 RBI over 104 games and a -1.3 WAR with the Marlins in 2019. He’s 36 and that was his third straight year of decline. It’s probably time if, for no other reason, that he’s a free agent and it’s hard to imagine him getting any offers, even on a minor league deal.
Which is not to take away from what was a pretty spiffy career. Prado broke into the bigs with Atlanta in 2006 and was a full-time player from 2009 through 2016 for the Braves, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Marlins. In his best season, 2012, he posted a 5.4 WAR while hitting .301/.359/.438 while stealing 17 bases and playing excellent defense at third base. He had another 5 WAR season in 2010, the year of his only All-Star selection. If his career is, indeed, finished, it finishes with a line of .287/.335/.412 and over 1,500 hits.
Not too shabby.
