Yankees or Mets; who does Todd Frazier play for in 2018?

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Todd Frazier
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Todd Frazier /
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Todd Frazier’s time with the Yankees has been a productive one. His 10 home runs and .790 OPS since Aug. 1 will make the free-agent-to-be an attractive option, especially for the Mets.

I feel pretty safe in saying that no one in baseball was happier to be traded this season than veteran third baseman Todd Frazier. Escaping the ongoing rebuild that is the Chicago White Sox, to come home to don the pinstripes for the Yankees, his childhood dream — has worked out pretty well for the 31-year-old two-time All-Star.

With each passing day and the likelihood of Frazier taking part in his first playoff game since 2013 as a member of the Reds, the clock has also begun to tick on the expiration of his contract.

Set to hit free agency for the first time in his seven-year career, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees are intent on bringing back a positive clubhouse presence that puts teammates at ease, and just so happens to be a dynamic combination of power and defensive ability.

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media, Frazier has already let team officials know he wants to continue his time in the Bronx, even if it means permanently switching positions for someone like No. 1 prospect Gleyber Torres.

Whether or not Torres can hold down the hot corner remains to be seen, as he’s only played a total of 15 minor league games there this season. And this came before being lost for the season to a torn left labrum.

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Surely, the kid has all the tools. But do the Yankees, who look primed for many playoff runs in the near future really want to move Frazier, a legitimate Gold Glove-caliber infielder away from such an all-important position?

I mean, have you seen some of the game-saving plays the Toms Rivers, NJ native has made since coming to the Yankees? You know the old adage, pitching and defense win championships.

Should the Yanks eventually decide that they’d rather allocate Frazier’s potential $15 million-plus salary per season elsewhere, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports writes that the cross-town rival Mets would be interested in having him replace the always-injured David Wright.

"No one is going to campaign to take David Wright’s job, least of all good guy/de facto New Yorker Todd Frazier, but there’s a belief Frazier could have an interest in going crosstown to the Mets if there’s a determination Wright isn’t going to make it next year. Frazier, the Toms River, N.J. product, was thrilled to go to the Yankees (he’s usually pretty happy, it seems), and maybe they will consider bringing him back, too."

Personally, I like Frazier’s style of play a lot. He’s a grinder, doesn’t make excuses and plays with passion. In a little over a month and a half with the Yanks, the guy has slugged 10 homers and owns a .790 OPS.

Next: Extend the nets in MLB stadiums!

I get that he strikes out a lot, resulting in a less than stellar batting average, but so do a lot of other power hitters. The question is, do the vast majority of those guys play great defense at both corners of the diamond? Bring the Toddfather, back!