The New York Yankees, barring some unexpected developments, will go ahead with Aaron Judge in right field, Aaron Hicks in center, and Giancarlo Stanton as the regular designated hitter. The left field spot will be for Clint Frazier, who underwent a transformation from 2019 to 2020 in which he turned into a patient hitter and a reliable fielder after years of being a liability in both areas.
On Sunday, a rumor involving Frazier circulated around Yankees Twitter, one that had him as a centerpiece to bring Cincinnati Reds’ starter Luis Castillo. It was all false, though, as Frazier remains unlikely to be moved.
On Tuesday, former big leaguer Mark DeRosa praised his abilities and evolution as a player.
“I’m high on Clint Frazier and I like the up-and-comers — the Kyle Lewises, the Luis Robertses,†DeRosa said of the Yankees’ outfielder while speaking on the MLB Network. “This is an aircraft carrier, like (former Rockies general manager) Dan O’Dowd likes to say. This is 30 (home runs) and 100 (RBI). This is the guy who wants to be the best player on the field any given night. He worked on his defense tirelessly. I’m excited to see him get 600 plate appearances because I think offensively he can put the team on his back for weeks at a time. He’s on my list and he’s on it pretty solid.”
The Yankees will give left field to Frazier
Those are very nice compliments from a former colleague, one that managed to hit .268 with 100 home runs and 494 RBI during a long career as a utility infielder.
The New York Yankees’ young slugger was ranked No. 9 on “The Shredder’s†list of the top 10 left fielders in MLB.
In 2020, after working in his overall approach, batting stance and defense, Frazier slashed .267/.394/.511 with a .388 wOBA and a 149 wRC+. He slugged eight homers in 39 games for the Yankees.