TODAY: Frazier has re-signed with the Pirates on a new minor league deal, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter). The veteran will report to the team’s alternate training site.
MARCH 26: Corner infielder Todd Frazier has opted out of his minor league contract with the Pirates in favor of free agency, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
This is unlikely to be the end for the 35-year-old Frazier, who plans to continue his career, Heyman writes. Frazier has enjoyed plenty of success in the majors, having earned two All-Star nods and batted .242/.319/.448 with 218 home runs (including five seasons with between 21 and 40 HRs) and 24.2 fWAR across 4,909 plate appearances since he debuted with the Reds in 2011.His production has faded over the past couple of years, though, and he batted a subpar .236/.302/.382 with four long balls and a career-low .146 ISO over 172 PA between the Rangers and Mets in 2020.
Despite his declining numbers, Frazier looked as if he had a chance to at least be a backup for rebuilding Pittsburgh, which has a budding star at third base in Ke’Bryan Hayes and left-handed-hitting first baseman Colin Moran. Frazier, a righty, could have platooned with Moran, and he made his case for a roster spot this spring with a .250/.353/.643 line and three dingers in 28 at-bats. Instead, Frazier – who has appeared in the majors with five teams – will try to catch on with another club. Frazier’s exit suggests infielder Phillip Evans will make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
R.I.P.
I have one dollar on “Back to the Mets”
Was about to say the same thing lol
As a Mets fan who has great respect for Todd, I hope you lose your dollar
Hells no
I would rather take a jar of pennies whose value was less than that of my next paycheck than see Todd Frazier in anyone’s uniform.
Don’t look for Todd Frazier to be a consideration for the White Sox roster in the wake of the Eloy Jimenez injury. The former White Sox 3B/INF/DH has had a beef with OF Adam Eaton going back to their time together in Chicago in 2016. That animosity continued when Eaton was with the Nationals and Frazier with the Mets: https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/nationals/history-adam-eaton-and-todd-fraziers-beef-explained
Yeah absolutely no chance he goes to the south side
What would they need him for anyway Aaron ? Explain please, he is an infielder always, not a left field or any outfield .
Who hasn’t had a beef with Adam Eaton?
We have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Todd Frazier. This dude should have retired 2 years ago. Time for this dude to give it up!
Sign him Rick! I wanna see him maul Eaton
Am I the only one that’s pretty surprised by this? Thought he was going to be a much needed veteran presence for Pittsburgh this year.
Nope, you’re not the only one. I saw an interview he did in Pitt, and he seemed to be having the time of his life, really enjoying himself.
I don’t see a lot of opportunities out there, but maybe his agent has checked around and gotten a nibble. Obviously the Bucs aren’t going anywhere, but he would have gotten some decent playing time.
I saw a miked up episode with him where he said that he was going to have fun mentoring the young guys like Hayes….etc. Seemed like a sincere thought. Something happened….he was probably told that he wasn’t going to make the team. What else could it be?
@Not Xabial I’ll be interested to look over any studies asserting the specific value of one contributor to “veteran presence” on teams full of older managers, coaches, trainers….
Thanks in advance.
I doubt you’ll find one. 99% of this “mentoring” stuff is just made up. In any group of 26 workers, any one will really like a couple of them, really hate a couple of them, and not give a poop about the rest.
That said, when you’ve got a vet like Frazier, whose already made his money, and probably realizes he can’t play everyday, I can see that happening. Besides, he just SEEMS to be that kind of guy. (And yes, I say that with no direct knowledge)).
Not only a ‘veteran presence’ Sadly, he’s probably still a better hitter than a handful of position players on the team.
They got the veteran presence for a month. He seems like a great teammate but the bat isn’t there anymore.
Not at all, thought I was reading it wrong. I seen the same interview he did during a Spring Training game. Plus the way Shelton talked about Frazier, seemed to be a lock for a roster spot.
I guess they felt like they could only keep 2 of Moran, Evans, and Frazier, and Frazier was the odd man out.
Also thought he was a lock but that meant that Evans was gone. Sorry for Frazier but glad for Evans as he was only bright spot of horrible team last year.
35 is the New 40 in MLB.
Players in every sport drop off about 5 years earlier than they did before steroid testing got serious.
Coincidence, no doubt.
Is it time for him to retire? Even if NL gets Full time DH he doesn’t hit enough. @hitman I’m beginning to agree with you especially with players like Frazier
Put a fork in him.
He’s so bad. If he’s leaving with a bench spot locked, he’s dumb. If the pirates are planning to cut him, then riddle me that also as they aren’t exactly deep.
They have younger cheaper players who can play more positions. And Fraziers bat didn’t impress.
Adam’s did… not Todds.
No way he left after being told he would make the team as a bench player. It has to be that he wasn’t going to make the team.
His bat didn’t impress this spring but he can actually still play both corners well enough. Still shown pop. His biggest problem is lack of versatility.
Lack of versatility is his biggest problem????? He can’t hit!!! Hasn’t been able to hit for at least 3 years. He is terrible!!!
Wrong. He can hit lefties. And that was why he was given a chance with the Pirates. They just decided to go with 14 pitchers so that eliminated Frazier.
Right, imo they couldn’t keep all 3 of Moran Evans and Frazier
Only 3 bench bats and catcher. Gonzales Evans are hitting better, cheaper, controlled, and can play more positions. Probably want a true 4th outfielder. Probably want to see if they can develop Fowler. Even with another bench spot Difo has the same qualities as Evans Gonzales.
Poor Todd, just couldn’t make it in the American League before. The mans numbers, kept free falling even the one season he was swinging for the fences , (40) home runs with the White Sox, but the start of his not so good batting average. Poor Todd
More like rich Todd. He will be alright.
Nutting is paying the $1.5 million Frazier would have made to Trevor Cahill. Frazier has had a good spring and i wouldn’t rule him out elsewhere. The Brewers could be a good fit to share 3B with Travis Shaw and backup 1B. Colorado could use the depth with McMahon likely staying at 2B with Rodgers injured
Evans had a good ST too and would rather see him instead of Frazier. Can play many more positions and he has been hitting
THE KID FROM TOM’S RIVER, NEW JERSEY, HE PLAYED IN THE LLWS, AND HE IS A VERY NICE GUY!!!!!!!!! THE TODDFATHER!!!!
Keep it down. They can hear you all the way to Brick.
I’m sure the Bucs extended him the courtesy of a heads up that he wasn’t going to make the team. That way he could opt out seemingly on his own terms. Good guy. I wish him luck. The Bucs needed that last spot on the hitters’ side to be a Swiss Army knife. It likely came down to Evans or Difo. That also means they are keeping a 4th OF…Fowler or Goodwin. They need to let one of those guys go ASAP so they can find another gig.
Certainly possible. Or, he told the team, “Either guarantee me a spot, or I need to look elsewhere.” Who knows?
how did the Pirates not carry him
With only 12 position players or hitters, they only have 4 guys on the bench. They needed versatility from at least two of them. Gonzalez and Evans can both be super utility guys. Difo can, too, but they love Evans. Difo is a good player and has nearly 1000 big league ABs while Evans doesn’t yet have 100 ABs and they are the same age. I guess they felt like they should give him a shot.
The Reds need another third baseman…
While I like the idea, I really like/liked him…but we need another 3b like we need another outfielder.
with Kieboom looking questionable at 3b I wouldn’t be shocked if the Nats call him. Btw, what happened to Gyorko? I thought for sure he would have a job by now
Bats have Josh Harrison to back up third.
He will find a spot. In my opinion, He as the Brewers most consistent player last year and should have been in the lineup more often. Would be a good addition to any team. He is more athletic than given credit.
Good, now he lands in Seattle where he belongs. You’re welcome, marketing team.
Goodnight Seattle.
Mistake for a young Pirates team not to keep him fr his leadership
Bucs need Evans ! Could start a lot of 1st He is a ball player ! Old school . We need his bat !
Great leader but glad for Phillip Evans.
dodgers need a rh bat…. on the cheap… why not?
The Nats seem like a good possibility for him. Kieboom is a career minor leaguer
Kieboom is looking pretty bad for the Nats
“I don’t know if we’re going to take 14 or if we’re going to take 13 pitchers,” Shelton said. “If we do take 14 pitchers, then versatility is going to be really important, and I think that kind of led to our decision.”
So they are taking 14 pitchers, and they released Todd rather than him opting out?
I believe he did opt out. That was reported here and on local Pitsburgh media outlets. Apparently no interest could be found so he took the Pirates up on the offer to be signed back and place with the Taxi squad. There will be injuries with either the Pirates or another team. The Pirates may get an offer for either Todd Frazier, Adam Frazier or someone else and either Todd will go somewhere else or be called up depending on who gets traded from the Pirates roster.
Braves ought to sign him and waive Panda
Bad move by the Pirates to let him go… but since its likely going to be a dumpster year.. doesn’t really matter much (to the pirates) let younger guys let them show what they got.
Evans career is one of short sample.. a larger sample for him is really needed and this year is the time to do it.
Todd showed enough in spring to pick up another job.
Apparently he didn’t.
yeah my comment didn’t age well lol.
Glad he’s still around.
It’s ok. At least you took the risk and made a statement.
As a most likely suffering Pirates fan this year, I’m very pleased. It’s going to be a difficult year and some veteran guidance can’t be a bad thing.
Nice to see the Toddfather get another chance to play. I’ve liked him since he was Scott Rolen’s protogé in Cincinnati.
Someone call Mario Puzo; it’s time to start filming: “The Toddfather IV – Resurrected”.
@dorothy can we write in that the toddfather hits a ball so hard that it smashes the owners window and strikes him in the head. then maybe bucs fans get an owner that cares about the team.
I wish we had this guy 2 days ago.
We’re not paying enough attention to “Taxi Squad” needs. You don’t want prospects on the Taxi Squad; it’d be a waste of their time. So guys like Frazier (Dietrich with the Yanks, etc.) are perfect for the traveling squad. Multi-positional, probably don’t party as much as they did when they were younger, and they get MLB meal money. And they don’t have to be on the 40-man.
Taxi squads wiil be made up of younger, top prospects for a while., They will need something to do for a month until the MiLB season gets underway. The Taxi squad teams will play each other. Pittsburgh will be playing Cleveland, Cincinnati, and another team to play games. I envision some older vets mixing in with young guys on the rise. I would rather the younger guys playing taxi squad games instead of minor league spring training games. Better competition for the younger guys for the month.