Since being acquired by the New York Yankees, Clint Frazier has had a hard time sticking with the team. Whether it was due to injuries (concussions derailed his 2018), or his apparent inefficiencies on defense (which sent him back to AAA last season). But one problem remains for the Yankees in their rocky relationship with their red-headed outfielder.
Next year is the last year the Yankees can option Clint Frazier. Which means we could very easily lose one of our top trade prizes to another team on waivers.
Will the New York Yankees consider trading him?
Frazier has been linked multiple times as trade bait. Should the Yankees have accepted Pittsburgh’s offer, Frazier and Miguel Andujar would have been sent to the Pirates for 2020 free agent mega stud Gerritt Cole. On the one hand, we saved ourselves something special in the 2018 season Miguel Andujar had. On the other hand, we could have had Gerritt Cole, and spared ourselves from the subpar 2019 we lived through with JA Happ.
It’s imperative that if Clint Frazier doesn’t work out in New York, we get something for him. Frazier is one of the top prospects in baseball, and it’s evident that Frazier has promise. A .254 batting average is pretty good for a 24-year-old who hasn’t had a full season in baseball yet. His on-base percentage, OPS, and slugging are all respectful, and will only improve the more at-bats this kid can get.
But he has a career WAR in the negatives. The more he plays in the outfield, the clearer his defensive deficiencies become. His record for defensive runs saved are also in the negatives for his career. Is it fair to make these judgments over a kid who’s played in less than 100 games? We did it to Miguel Andujar, who managed to land a third base starting job due to his play over veteran third baseman Brandon Drury. And Andujar may have lost his job to Gio Urshella.
Clint Frazier has a promising future in baseball, but it possibly isn’t going to be in the Bronx. Sonny Gray had a promising career in baseball. Then he came to the Yankees and was sent to the bullpen. Being a Yankee isn’t for everyone; the stresses of the bright lights and expectations from the fans can be overwhelming. Frazier seems like he can’t cut it in New York, and it’s no fault of his, but the Yankees should get something in return for the bright future he’s sure to have. So they need to act before he can get picked up on waivers by the Red Sox.