MAY 13: Frazier has elected free agency, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette tweets.
MAY 10: The Pirates announced that infielder Todd Frazier has been designated for assignment. Ben Gamel, recently claimed off waivers from the Indians, will take Frazier’s spot on Pittsburgh’s roster.
“The Toddfather” initially signed a minor league deal with the Pirates during the offseason, then opted out of that contract near the end of Spring Training only to re-sign with the club a few days later. Frazier did end up seeing some time on the Bucs’ big league roster, but he hit only .086/.200/.114 over 40 plate appearances.
Despite this lack of offense, the timing of Frazier’s DFA comes at something of an unexpected moment, given that Colin Moran was just placed on the 10-day injured list and Bryan Reynolds is also day-to-day with an unspecified lower-body injury. Gamel can fill in for Reynolds, and Phillip Evans seems like the logical choice to be moved to first base, with such other internal options like Troy Stokes Jr., Hunter Owen, and minor league signing Wilmer Difo all vying for playing time until Reynolds, Moran, and Ke’Bryan Hayes are all healthy.
A veteran of 11 MLB seasons and a former two-time All-Star, Frazier was still swinging a productive bat as recently as 2019, when he hit .251/.329/.443 (104 OPS+, 106 wRC+) over 499 PA for the Mets. Since that season, however, Frazier has only a .616 OPS over 212 PA with the Mets, Rangers, and Pirates. Assuming he clears DFA waivers, the 35-year-old figures to get some looks from teams in need of corner infield help. Frazier is still a capable fielder at first base and third base, and apart from his 2021 numbers, he has still been solid against left-handed pitching.
Seemingly good guy, but also very much overrated. Fell in love with trying to hit home runs, and became one of dozens of guys that hit .230-.240 with 30+ home runs for a bit. What made Frazier even less valuable was that despite his power, he sucked at taking walks.
I disagree.
He had one down year in the form of 2018, but has otherwise provided some form of value. Heck, his walk rates from 2016 to 2017 were a career best, the same years he was hitting more for power then average.
Looking at the stats, I’d wager it’s his exit velocity. From 2019 to 2020, Frazier’s exit velocity dropped from 88.9mph to 87.8mph. It’s not a coincidence that his hard hit rates also dropped to career lows either.
It is not that Todd Frazier’s supposed obsession with power is sapping his performance, it’s a loss of that very power that is making his approach at the plate moot of any value.
A decrease in exit velocity, no matter how little, plays a big part in a hitters ability to get balls in the air out of the park. Of course, having your walk rate slowly creep lower each season doesn’t help things.
Going off his extremely high GB%, its entirely possible he is trying to adjust his swing to play off his low exit velocity, but it could be too late for the ‘Toddfather’ at this point.
Mr Goodguy had a dust up with local media because of a negative article written during spring training. Ran his mouth upon being called up and didn’t do a thing to back it up. He won’t be missed
Oh noooo muh local beat reporter oh no they got disrespected. Tragic and harrowing, truly.
He was overrated in his prime and underrated the last few years
One person’s down year is another’s steady decline.
Not really, he wasn’t a walk machine but his career walk rate is 8.9% which is slightly above average.
His K rate wasn’t terrible either, the issue with him was that he got so little out of his non Homer batted balls (sub 270 BABiP in his career) as he had a high launch angle but also pulled a ton and hit a lot of Pop ups.
Still a solid but not spectacular career with a 107 wrc+ and 24 War.
After that Twitter harassment, there’s no way his career isn’t over.
Please Rockies claim him and get rid of Josh Fuentes. Keeping Nolan’s cousin on the roster is just kind of silly since he has been traded.
How many family members does Nolan Arenado have in the big leagues and minors, jeez
Oh great I had to listen to the Todd father run his mouth for for 2 1/2 hours because he was mic’d up during a spring game . They probably got sick of him talking .
You could always change channels. You know. Clicker.
How do you know Todd Frazier didn’t break into Mitchell’s house, tie him to a chair, ball gag him, give him a manicure, and force him to watch his improvised monologue? Very insensitive of you, DDT!
Well played sir (or madam)
There was a few teams which got into that “mic up” craze and I refused to watch any of those games, announcers continued asking foolish questions instead of showing the game.. Total waste of time, or those sometimes 2 full inning interviews some did.. Tampa was one of the worst with those.. barely showing the game and only the player and Staats ugly mug.
Imagine 90% of ppl watch any game to see exactly that..THE GAME, not some dolt asking meaningless questions.
I for one was fine with giving him a shot, especially with all of the Pirate injuries to lineup regulars, but it looks like he is a shell of the player he once was. It was worth the try, but even at this small sample size it’s time to cut bait and move on.
Starts in a 1-31 slump, goes 2-4 yesterday, released today…it is a cruel game…”I got my stroke back, Skipper “…
Should have got the chicken bones from the switch hitting witch rubbed on his bat a little sooner……
Worked for Willie Mayes Hayes.
Thats the problen. Pirates not used to a guy coming out of a slump .he stood hitless, hes still a pirate
Tom- you have to be a Tigers fan.You can appreciate a bad team.
Huh, I know he was doing pretty bad but I figured they’d at least give him another shot to prove himself.
Are we making room for Albert Pujols?
I believe there would be room for Albert but don’t think Albert is gonna come to the Burgh even though they play in a really nice stadium.
No one wants Albert washed up self on their roster
Making room for HOF-er, yes.
But it’s Rob Refsnyder, not Albert.
Even better!
Rob and Albert are the same person. Just like Cyrus and Montana.
RR and HOF jokes never get old. Hahah
Ref !
To the extent anyone was looking at Albert, do they now take a flyer on Frazier instead?
You fearing that your Angels are considering Frazier?
No. Heavens no. In the unlikely event any team is considering Albert, are they now considering Frazier instead?
No. Teams looking at pujols see a guy who will draw fans to a mediocre team, hoping to see 1 swing and then they get to brag “I saw alberts 670th” or whatever
Frazier has not been that guy in a long time, if ever
I think he’s close to vesting for MLB pension purposes, so hoping he gets a chance with a new team.
Lot of guys need pensions. Not the guys making millions a year. At that point you could and should have your retirement figured out.
This is 2021. We are way past the days of athletes being treated unfairly. These are real people just like you and me. Look up what he’s made in his career to date. I don’t know why you care about his pension dude.
First Pujols and now this. The legends get no love. Who’s next to get unceremoniously DFA’d, Jeff Mathis?
Rockies will sign Big Sexy on Tuesday and DFA him on Wednesday. Why?
Just the Rockies way.
This is the way.
And the Mets are gonna claim him in 3, 2, 1……
Not happening though there is a path for it for ten days. DeGrom is going on 10-day IL. Lugo’s due back at end of May, so he could be put on the 60-day retroactive to the start of the season.
the deaden ball is clearing out the all-or-nothing hitters.
Good, tired of these metric players who refuse to or can’t adapt.
White Sox so he can bslap Eaton for old times sake.
Thanks for jogging my memory Dumpster Divin Theo. I remember Frazier and Eaton having an issue with the Sox. Eaton seems like a scrappy guy but I would have put my $$ on Frazier in that tussle.
Now that’s embarrassing, getting DFA’d to make room for Ben Gamel.
Spicoli found work! Now to pair him with his old nemesis, Brad Hand.
Aloha Mr. Hand!
He has only been around for 11 seasons? It feels like much longer than that. Hopefully he catches on somewhere.
I really think he’s done. His BA won’t attract too many suitors
Didn’t the Pirates DFA Michael Feliz already when they claimed Gamel? So do they now have an extra roster spot available?
For some reason they called up Geoff Hartlieb to designate Feliz.
Feliz is never going to be real good but he may very well be serviceable when used properly.I think that Hartlieb would have benefitted by more AAA time to sharpen his control.
I think Feliz was DFAd for,Stokes.
I just looked at the list of roster moves before I answered the question.
Not sure that it was accurate.
Then again with all these moves in so little a time period I am not sure that Ben Cherington could answer that question!
Back to Cincy until Votto returns?
I must be missing something. This is fraziers 11th season, dont you need 6 yrs for a tiny pension and 10 years is a 250,000 a year pension….either way he made millions ,he wont need it in a hurry…
JUST CHECKED, hes made a tad under 50 million, why are ppl worried about his pension?
Just Dale Berra.
Que the guy who angrily explains that MLB players don’t bank their lifetime earnings………
Fraz one hit a HR in Cincy and his hands were completely off of the bat in his follow through… it’s on the Tube…
I have to hand it to Pirates fans. The fact that Todd Frazier being released in May generated this many comments shows that you are engaged even in a bleak rebuilding year. Hang in there. You deserve a winner.
In his peak, he was a borderline all-star. His peak ended after 2017 season. 35 is ancient in the post steroid era of MLB.
Scherzer, Verlander and Greinke beg to differ.
Exceptions don’t negate a generalized rule. Never understand why people think it does. The overwhelming majority of players are ancient and in deep decline at 35. Cherry picked outliers don’t change that.
Don- Thank you.Every team goes through down years,and the Pirates recently had twenty straight,but they hopefully will be getting better fairly soon.We are somewhat used to this.
Your name,spelled differently,was a Pirates pitching coach in the mid 1960’s.
Looks like Ryan Braun would have been a better signing for the Pirates as opposed to Frazier.
Former-It said something to me when the Brewers did not seem in the least bit interested in bringing him back.
He may not have been keen in playing for someone else,but no one else seemed to be interested either.
There can be more to the picture than meets the public’s eye.
Todd loves BBC
Hang them up Todd.. it’s time.
If Todd wants to keep playing i think that he will have to opt for the KBO, NPB , or join an Indy league team. Do not think anyone will be interested after his decline the last couple of seasons and ended with his cratering with Pittsburgh.
Did you know that Todd Frazier is from Toms River, NJ and that he won the Little League WS and appeared with Derek Jeter at SS in Yankee Stadium?
Yes and he starred for Rutgers baseball team.
I doubt it would happen, but the Mets are low on available infielders right now, so they could bring him on for a very short time.
That ship has long sailed but I can see Alderson bringing him back for defense and veteran leadership. LOL