Yankees: 3 players who could be non-tendered in offseason

2. Clint Frazier

What’s wrong with Clint Frazier? Last we heard, manager Aaron Boone wasn’t optimistic about Frazier returning in 2021 due to a troubling vision/dizziness issue that forced him out of action back on July 30. Boone provided that update in August.

Not too long after, Frazier was transferred to the 60-day IL after leaving a rehab assignment prematurely with the Somerset Patriots. Never saw him again except on Twitter a few times when he was cryptically tweeting random lyrics.

But … is he really dealing with an injury? Or was he exiled like Jacoby Ellsbury? Frazier took to Twitter this week and vowed to clear up “a lot of inaccurate things reported” about his injury. We’d love to hear more from the man!

Then again, though we hope he gets better and rediscovers his form, there’s no need for him to serve as a distraction in the 2022 team, especially after all that’s followed him ever since he arrived in the Bronx in the Andrew Miller-Indians trade. We don’t need to get into it. We just want him to start anew without the obstacles he clearly faces in this organization.

Whatever happened, Frazier’s “Gold Glove” defense from 2020 disappeared after he was named the starting left fielder for the 2021 season. And so did his bat. He was one of the six worst players in MLB according to fWAR when he played his final game back in June, and the Yankees surely won’t convince themselves that a) they’ll be able to trade him or b) that he’s worth a projected $2.25 million in arbitration. With how cheap the Yankees have been, there’s almost a 0% chance they’ll continue their years-long experiment with Frazier.

Frazier had his chances, and now Joey Gallo is here, Aaron Hicks should return from injury, and Giancarlo Stanton can play defense after he wasn’t permitted to do so for a few years. And even if the Yankees find a way to get rid of Gallo and Hicks, they’d likely prefer other options than Frazier at this point.