The Colorado Rockies covet Atlanta Braves utility man Martin Prado, and for obvious reasons. He can play at either second or third base effectively, can fill in an outfield spot, and is a quality right handed bat that the lineup has desperately needed the past two seasons. As a good contact hitter, he profiles as the exact type of bat that would play well at Coors Field, and he still has two years of team control left before he hits free agency.
In essence, he is the top trade target for the Rockies this offseason.
Unfortunately for Rockies fans, the Detroit Tigers also view Prado in the same light, and they have the ear of Braves' GM Frank Wren. According to multiple sources, the Tigers have made quite a bit of progress on a trade for Prado by offering OF Delmon Young.
Young is a right handed outfielder with some power, though he has not showcased the talents that made him the first overall selection in the 2003 draft. He hit .268 last season with dismal .695 OPS between two clubs. As a power bat, he has only hit 71 HR in six seasons.
The Rockies have countered with OF Seth Smith, who has been a productive player for Colorado, but is viewed as a platoon bat with merely average defense. With Charlie Blackmon and Tim Wheeler likely to make the majors in 2012, Smith is a good player at a position of strength. It appears that Braves GM Wren wants Smith and one of Blackmon or Wheeler, a price that Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd views as too steep.
The speculation continues, and the trade rumors are likely to swirl until Prado ends up wearing another uniform.