Yankees: Players Who Won’t Be on Roster After 2020
By Adam Weinrib
2. Clint Frazier, Yankees Outfielder
New York Yankees OF Clint Frazier’s quick-twitch bat speed needs a home.
This was supposed to be the year, as last year was supposed to be the year, as every year since 2017 has before it. Clint Frazier was ready for a breakout — after all, what more did he have to prove at Triple-A in 2020?
Nevermind that Frazier already performed exceptionally well in 2019, leading the Yankees offense alongside Luke Voit during that strange end-of-April west coast swing, hitting .267 with 12 homers and 38 RBI overall. That’s a major league bat. Unfortunately, the Yankees also need major league pitching.
It’s depressing that Frazier won’t get a full 2020 (if any games at all) to prove his current worth, considering the Yankees will have plenty of holes to fill on the mound after the season ends, and he remains their most big league-ready trade chip (after all, it’s hard to get more big league-ready than a big leaguer).
That being said, though, we still find it to be quite likely that Frazier finds himself on the move for a Tanaka/Paxton replacement this offseason. New York simply has too much tied up in outfielders long-term, and the entrance of the DH to the NL opens up half the league to Frazier’s mashing skill. Unless he proves himself intrinsic to a 60-game World Series champion, we expect to see him head elsewhere.
And speaking of Tanaka/Paxton…