Prado still respected by Braves

Marlins infielder had a big impact in Atlanta.

When Marlins third baseman Martin Prado went 0-for-3 with a walk Tuesday, it was the second hitless outing he’s had in 14 games against the Braves since they traded one of their most popular players two years ago.

They traded Prado to Arizona in a January 2013 deal that brought Justin Upton and Chris Johnson to Atlanta, and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez believes the impact of Prado’s loss is still felt in some respects by the Braves.

They’ve made wholesale changes since he played for them, but the Braves still have some familiar faces, including shortstop Andrelton Simmons, whom Gonzalez remembers following Prado around when Simmons was a rookie in 2012, taking his cues from one of the most respected players the Braves have had.

Prado finished 20th in the National League MVP balloting that season, batting .301 with 58 extra-base hits and a .359 on-base percentage. In 2010, he was an All-Star, batting .307 with a .350 OBP and .459 slugging percentage and finishing ninth in the MVP balloting.

But Prado’s contributions went far beyond stats, as anyone who’s played with him will at- test. Prado became the glue that held the clubhouse together.

“He’s a special guy,” said Gonzalez, who was the Braves’ thirdbase coach when Prado debuted in 2006, then faced him as Marlins manager for 3½ seasons before Gonzalez took over as Braves manager in 2011 and had Prado on his first two Atlanta teams.