Atlanta Braves’ Martin Prado not concerned about contract extension - MLB Update
As Martin Prado goes through an impressive 2012 season, the discussion about his contract extension has started. When inquired about this, Prado expressed his indifference in this regard, stating that he is more concerned about continuing to perform well
in the season than anything related to his contract.
2013 will be his final arbitration-eligible season after which he can invoke free agency. However, if the Braves offer him contract extension prior to the completion of the previous agreement, he can stay with the club.
So far, Prado has been a great force for the Braves’ offence. He is hitting .306, with five home-runs and 41 RBIs.
He has been a part and parcel of the high scoring games that the Braves had this year. Atlanta is one of those teams in the National League East Division that has been the most successful offensively.
Even when some of the Braves’ players were injured, the team kept experiencing multi-hit games.
In this context, Prado's role cannot be denied.
Whenever Chipper Jones stayed out due to the injury, an impact of his absence was neutralised by the way Prado stepped in and continued making hits for the Braves.
His success at third-base has made some experts believe that he can be a reliable successor of Jones. After this year, Jones will retire and therefore the Braves will be without a player who has been such an amazing contributor for their offence for the
last two decades.
In light of this, Prado can rightly fit in the equation. He can keep the Braves’ offence afloat even in the absence of Jones. Therefore, it cannot be a surprise if he is awarded a long-term contract extension by the management after this season. However,
so far the team officials have not revealed their intentions in this regard.
Similarly, Prado understands the fact that talking about the contract at this moment may derail his attention from the focus on the season. Therefore, he aims to carry his success thus far in the season forward and approach this issue later.
"That is not something I want to think about right now," Prado said. "I just want to focus on this season."
As the Braves head to play their crucial games, it will be interesting to see what type of impact Prado will have for the team.
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