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New York Mets Rumors: Attention Turning To Martin Prado?

By Kenneth Teape

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New York Mets Rumors: After missing out on the Ben Zobrist sweepstakes, the Mets are moving on quickly as they are reportedly in the running to add utility player Martin Prado to help fill out their lineup and bench.

Even though the New York Mets have already completed two trades in recent days, they seem to still be in the market for another bat. They missed out on one of the players they were targeting though, as Ben Zobrist was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Kansas City Royals. The Mets don’t seem to be resting on their laurels though, as they may be targeting another utility player now instead.

Since the Mets and New York Yankees missed out on the Zobrist sweepstakes, it seems that Miami Marlins utility man Martin Prado is now the next player they will target. In recent days it seems that the Marlins have changed their stance on Prado, as they were only thinking about trading Prado away if it was for a sizeable offer. But, now they seem more open to moving him as he is becoming more available as other options on the market are traded for.

Like Zobrist, the versatility that Prado would bring would be a huge boon to the Mets as they try to improve their offense without breaking the bank. While he doesn’t have as much experience as Zobrist playing multiple positions, he has the most experience playing third base, second base and left field, all spots the Mets have struggled to fill this season because of injuries and inconsistency.

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The thinking behind acquiring Prado would be the same for the Mets as it was when they picked up Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe from the Atlanta Braves; he provides position versatility and strengthens their bench. Like Johnson and Uribe, Prado can be started at multiple positions, giving Terry Collins options when making his lineup everyday so he can keep players fresh for the stretch run.

On the season, Prado is slashing .273/.312/.369. All of those numbers are below his career averages, but would represent an upgrade for the Mets in their lineup. If Prado is traded, it will be the second consecutive year he is dealt at the deadline. It looks like it could also be the second time he is traded to New York, as last season, he was acquired by the Yankees from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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At this time, it seems as if the Mets are more interested in adding another versatile piece instead of a big-named bat in the middle of the order. It may frustrate some fans they will not go all in and acquire a bat such as Justin Upton, but with the asking price of teams right now it is just not worth it. The Mets need to keep their options open, but acquiring a player such as Prado will definitely help as the Mets would have added three solid veterans to their bench and lineup in addition to another arm in Tyler Clippard at the end of their bullpen.

Next: 5 players the Mets could trade

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