Marlins Acquire Martin Prado

The Miami Marlins have made a trade with the New York Yankees to acquire veteran infielder Martin Prado.

The Fish send Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, and and minor league pitching prospect Domingo German to the Bronx for Prado and David Phelps.

Good deal for Miami, as they find a place for the recently displaced Jones, and net both a professional hitter in Prado as well as a starting pitcher who may be as effective as Eovaldi in 2015.

The hard-throwing Eovaldi has been something of an enigma since being billed as a top prospect in the Dodgers organization, and I really wonder if he’ll ever “figure it out.” At times, he’s looked dominant, while other times, not so much. In Phelps, Miami gets a fringy fifth starter who finds a way to retire big-league batters and eat up innings despite so-so stuff; in many ways, he reminds me of Dillon Gee. I think Phelps will benefit greatly from exited the AL East, and be helped in the first half of the season by the element of mystery. He won’t win 15 games, but he should help bridge the gap between Opening Day and the return of Jose Fernandez in June or July. Phelps also is insurance against the departure or retiring of Dan Haren.

As for Prado, he will likely see time at second base, third base, and the outfield for the Fish, providing stability and veteran leadership. He’s a solid all-around ballplayer who rarely makes mistakes and gets his bat on the ball.

With Prado leaving, I wonder if this means the Yankees will go after one or both of Stephen Drew and Asdrubal Cabrera?