Yankees: How long will Clint Frazier stay in the big leagues?

On Tuesday the Yankees finally called up Clint Frazier after he hit .362 with three home runs to start his season down at Triple-A. Frazier was more than deserving of the call-up, but for how long will he stay in the big leagues?

One of the reasons the Yankees made the move to bring up Frazier was to give them an extra position player in an NL Park. However, with the Yanks in D.C. to play the Nationals for only a short two-game set Frazier’s stay might not last very long.

If he is sent back down before this weekend’s series in Kansas City the news is sure to cause an uproar from Yankee fans everywhere. With Aaron Hicks really struggling to start his season the calls for Frazier to replace him in the lineup have only gotten louder over the past week.

In Scranton, Frazier got off to that red-hot start after he returned from a concussion that sidelined him the entire spring training. It wasn’t until April 26th that he returned to game action, but since then he’s clearly forced the Yankees to take notice of his progress. Once he proved that he was healthy it was only a matter of time before he joined the big league roster.

There’s no doubt that Frazier belongs in the big leagues, especially after the way he played during his rookie season in 2017. He showed flashes of excellence during the first 39 games of his young career with his lightning quick bat and plus athleticism and he’s always figured to be a part of the Yankees future. There’s always the chance he could be used in a package for a front-line starter but with the lack of big arms expected to be on the trade market this season that seems less likely with each passing day.

Obviously, Frazier hopes that he can make some kind of impact with the Yankees this season, although if that doesn’t happen he could be in line to be their starting left fielder in 2019. Brett Gardner is in the last year of his contract and he has struggled thus far which could lead to management deciding not to pick up his club option.

Frazier or Hicks?

As for the present, there has to be some serious consideration moving forward about giving Frazier more playing time instead of Aaron Hicks.

Hicks is in a bad funk right now, but based on his overall track record should his struggles really come as a surprise? He’s a career .231 hitter and outside of the season he had a year ago (in only 88 games), he’s never proven himself to be worthy of an everyday role.

Frazier has much more upside than Hicks and he’d be a welcome addition to the Yankees ever growing youth movement. He’s not the center fielder Hicks is but if the Yankees didn’t feel comfortable putting him out there they could always put him in left and Gardner in center with Giancarlo Stanton at DH.

Yes it’s still only May 16th and it might be unfair to already bench a guy at this point in the season, but this isn’t Gardner I’m talking about possibly losing his job to Frazier. Unlike Hicks, he’s hit well of late and has a much better track record so therefore he deserves a longer leash.

Next: Who's the odd man out when Greg Bird returns?

It’s easier to believe that Gardner will break out and end up posting another productive season. However, with Hicks, we don’t know what to expect. It’s also true that we don’t know if Frazier can step right in and produce, but at this point, it’s a risk worth taking. From what we saw out of Frazier last season it’s clear that the talent is there so the odds seem pretty good that he would take advantage of any opportunity and run with it.

Now let’s just hope he gets that chance.

Home/Yankees News