With the impending return of Aaron Judge and the magnificent play of Cameron Maybin offensively and defensively, the New York Yankees are in a great spot. So good, in fact, Clint Frazier has become expendable after hitting .283 over 191 at-bats this season, helping the Yankees to a 46-27 record despite a bad case of the injury bug.
Now, with the starting pitching rotation in shambles, Frazier has become a trading piece, being sent down to the Triple-A to ride out the remaining days of his Yankee career.
However, Yankees principal owner, Hal Steinbrenner stated:
“I think he’s got a great career ahead of him,†Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday at the MLB owners’ meetings in Midtown. “He’s got a lot of talent. … He’ll be a big part of this team going forward. He certainly has the capability of doing that.â€
While his vote of confidence might indicate he’s not on the trading block, the Bombers recently traded for slugger Edwin Encarnacion, which supplants Frazier’s spot in the lineup and puts one more talented option in front of him that he must overtake for the starting job.
New York Yankees: Clint Frazier needs to improve drastically on defense
Clint’s lack of defensive efficiency has hurt him badly this season, making him a glorified designated hitter, but with the Yankees’ home run-centric mindset, Encarnacion fits the bill much better. That’s why Frazier is certainly on his way out – despite him having a solid hitting streak this year — his defense is so poor that there really isn’t a spot on the team for him unless multiple players pick up injuries.
Now is the best time to utilize his value in the open market and bring in a starting pitcher that can help immediately. With Luis Severino months away from a return and Domingo German on the injured list, adding an option like Mets’ Zack Wheeler or Noah Syndergaard would be perfect. Frazier would headline a potential deal on the Yankees side.