Marlins president on trading McGehee: One of the toughest calls I've ever made

MIAMI - The Miami Marlins opted to replace NL comeback player of the year Casey McGehee with Martin Prado at third base because they want greater athleticism and a more favorable contract at the position.

Even so, trading McGehee to the San Francisco Giants wasn't an easy decision, Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Saturday.

''It was probably one of the toughest phone calls I've ever had to make, to let him know he'd been traded,'' Hill said.

Miami acquired Prado from the New York Yankees on Friday, and then traded McGehee for a pair of right-handed minor league pitchers.

Prado, 31, hit .316 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 133 at-bats for New York last year. He's two years away from free agency, while McGehee, 32, can become a free agent after the 2015 season.

''Prado brings athleticism to both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively,'' Hill said. ''And the control - we know we have him for two years. Casey was on the brink of free agency. Given the opportunity, we felt it would be a good fit to bring Martin over.''