The New York Mets made waves Monday night, reaching a multi-year deal with veteran third baseman Todd Frazier.
The Toddfather is staying home. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the New York Mets and free-agent third baseman Todd Frazier are in agreement on a two-year, $17 million contract. The deal is pending a physical.
#Mets in agreement with free-agent 3B Todd Frazier on two-year, $17M contract, sources tell The Athletic. Pending a physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 6, 2018
According to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, Frazier’s deal includes no incentives and is without a no-trade clause, though Frazier would get a $500,000 bonus if the Mets decided to move him.
Frazier joining the Mets will shake up the infield alignment. Asdrubal Cabrera will now most likely shift to being the club’s full-time second baseman and the prospect of a starting role for Jose Reyes is probably off the table.
Born in Point Pleasant and raised in Toms River, the New Jersey native first caught our attention by helping lead the Toms River East American Little League All-Star team to the 1998 Little League World Series. Frazier opted to play his college ball close to home, amassing a successful career at Rutgers University.
Frazier was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 34th pick in the 2007 MLB Draft. Four years later, he debuted in the big leagues. As a Red, Frazier posted a .257/.321/.463 slash line with 108 home runs and 324 RBIs. He was named an All-Star twice and won the Home Run Derby in 2015.
A casualty of their rebuild, Frazier was shipped to the Chicago White Sox as part of a three-team trade between the Reds, White Sox, and Dodgers. This past July, Frazier was sent to the New York Yankees along with David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and helped the club come within one game of the World Series. In 66 games with the Yankees, Frazier launched 11 home runs, drove in 32 RBIs, and got on-base at a .365 clip.
At $8.5 million per season, Frazier joins the Mets on a bargain. He provides an immediate upgrade to this club bringing a power bat to their lineup and a solid glove on defense. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Frazier foreshadows the fact that we may not see David Wright again this season. For now, the front office can pat themselves on the back thanks to a job well done as they plot their next move.
