Yankees: What does the future hold for Clint Frazier?

After an extended absence with concussion symptoms, Clint Frazier has returned to game action on a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa. Now that he’s back on the field what does the future hold for the once highly regarded prospect with the Yankees?

Coming into the season it was always going to be tough for the 23-year-old Frazier to earn consistent playing time at the big league level with the Yankees. Despite performing well in limited time during his rookie season the Yankees outfield was just way too crowded especially after the team acquired Giancarlo Stanton in the offseason.

Even with Stanton in the fold, Frazier still had a chance to crack the big league roster as the fifth outfielder after the oft-injured Jacoby Ellsbury went down early in spring training. Unfortunately, Frazier himself soon followed with his own injury when he suffered the concussion after smacking his head into the outfield wall making a catch. The injury was thought to be a short-term thing, but concussions can linger and Frazier continued to suffer symptoms which ended up sidelining him all camp.

Now that he’s back and has resumed baseball activity it makes you wonder what role Frazier will fill for the Yankees this season. He’ll still have to spend more time rehabbing and playing down in the minors but once he shows that he can stay healthy and he looks big league ready the Yankees will have an interesting decision to make.

That decision might be a couple of weeks away but with Ellsbury still out, and showing no signs of returning soon, there could eventually be an opening on the Yankees 25-man roster. Although given the logjam of position players across the big league roster Frazier could also end up being stuck at Triple-A when he’s done rehabbing.

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If anyone in the outfield was to suffer an injury you can bet Frazier will be the next man in line, but right now he might serve best as a potential trade piece down the road for Brian Cashman. It’s no secret that Frazier was involved in rumors this winter in the talks for Gerrit Cole which tells you the Yankees won’t hesitate to include him in a deal near this year’s trade deadline.

You know the Yanks are going to be in play to acquire a big name starter at some point this summer and Frazier might be their best asset to offer.

Of course, it would take more than just Frazier to get a deal done, but he’s still highly regarded throughout the game as someone who has a really bright future. It might not be with the Yankees but Frazier still projects to be a productive player for a long time.

Frazier’s name will surely come up in trade rumors as the season progresses but if the Yankees do hold on to him he could also end up being the starting left-fielder in 2019. With Brett Gardner on the last year of his contract, it remains to be seen if the Yankees will decide to bring him back or roll with Frazier in left moving forward. Frazier would certainly be a good option to have and he would add to the growing youth movement the Yankees have recently employed.

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However, I get the feeling that Frazier’s long-term future isn’t in New York and that come July he will be traded elsewhere.