Yankees: Clint Frazier will be auditioning for trade if he’s promoted

The Yankees will probably trade Clint Frazier if his upcoming stint with the team is productive.

After Giancarlo Stanton suffered an injury during Saturday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees fans figured Clint Frazier would be the next man up when the team placed its star DH on the injured list.

That didn’t happen, however. Instead, the Bombers decided to give Thairo Estrada the nod to replace Stanton on the active roster, and while fans love the young utility man, the move was unquestionably weird. The Yankees already have Tyler Wade in that role and there’s no need for two of the same player, especially when you need another potent bat.

But this was all strategy. Estrada was on the taxi squad, so it was easier to promote him instead of sending Frazier all the way down to Florida on Sunday after Stanton’s injury when the team is returning to New York for the next two weeks.

Now, it’s expected the official move will feature Frazier on the active roster after Estrada was sent to the Alternate Site on Monday.

Frazier pretty much knows that before the announcement.

Frazier is the next best offensive option. Forget about his defensive struggles. There’s no doubt he’d be a more fitting DH option than Brett Gardner or Gary Sanchez. And we love Mike Ford, but are the Yankees really going to play him every day moving forward?

Everybody knows Frazier needs to improve upon his strikeouts and on-base percentage, but the threat of his bat in the lineup alone should be enough. Last year in scattered playing time across 69 games, he batted .267 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI. What’s even better? He hit .362 with a 1.198 OPS with runners in scoring position. That’s no fluke, either. We have a 56-plate-appearance sample size for that stat, in which he belted five homers and drove in 28 runs.

With that said, there’s little doubt that this promotion for Frazier will be nothing more than the 25-year-old building his trade value ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline. He got zero playing time after the Yankees’ opening series against the Nationals and was promptly sent down as the team favored Miguel Andujar (before sending him down, too).

But the Yankees will be getting Stanton back, and when that happens, there will once again be no room for Frazier and we’ll be doing this whole dance again, which is why this has to be his final audition before being traded. The Bombers clearly need another pitcher, Frazier is MLB-ready, and New York has little use for him when at full strength.

The stars are aligning as long as he can provide big moments with the bat. It’s also good for Frazier because he’s wasting away in this organization. He needs to blossom elsewhere if the Yankees can’t give him that opportunity.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks, Yankees fans, because this could be the last we see of Clint Frazier. We certainly wish we got to watch more of him in action, but the outfield logjam has forced general manager Brian Cashman’s hand.

Yankees: 3 Potential Clint Frazier Trades That Make Sense

Here are three potential trades that the New York Yankees could explore for outfielder Clint Frazier, whose role is uncertain.