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Yankees Recall Clint Frazier: Fantasy impact

By Bill Pivetz

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 28: Clint Frazier #77 of the New York Yankees connects on a 3-run home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 28, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 28: Clint Frazier #77 of the New York Yankees connects on a 3-run home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 28, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Yankees recalled outfielder Clint Frazier from Triple-A. How does his presence impact the Yankees lineup and fantasy baseball?

The New York Yankees minor-league system is deep. There is nothing new about that statement but it’s a reminder that there are players that we may have forgotten about that were once a top prospect in the system. After missing most of Spring Training and starting the season on the DL, outfielder Clint Frazier will make his first big league appearance in the 2018 season.

Frazier was one of the Yankees top prospects when he made his MLB debut on July 1 of last season. He finished with a .231/.268/.448 line with four home runs, 17 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 134 at-bats. Frazier was crushing the ball in Triple-A before getting called up, hitting 12 homers and 42 RBIs in 74 games.

Once healthy, Frazier continued where he left off. In 12 Triple-A games this year, he hit three home runs with four RBIs and scored eight runs with a .362 average. Even with the great performance, it’s hard to see why the Yankees would call him up.

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The team has Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks. The Yankees also have Billy McKinney, who started a rehab assignment, and Jacoby Ellsbury, who has no timetable for return. However, Stanton has spent most of his games as the DH.

Frazier spent time in both right and left field last season. He played in all three outfield positions in Triple-A this year. This gives the Yankees a lot of flexibility to give the other four outfielders a day off if needed.

With that, though, comes a regression in games played for those outfielders. While it won’t mean missing 30 games but an average of one or two games per week adds up throughout the season.

Looking at last year, starting when Frazier was called up, he played six games in right field and 27 in left. Judge played 72 games in right, DH for four and pinch-hit in three.

Hicks missed 39 games between June 26 and August 10, which made room for Frazier to come up. When Hicks was healthy, he played the majority of his games in center field, somewhere Frazier likely won’t play this season.

This move likely affects Gardner the most. Judge will man right field and Hicks in center. Gardner is 34 years old and is making $11.5 million this season. If Frazier can get off to a hot start, then expect the Gardner-trade rumors to heat up again. His playing time will be limited and can still play at a good level.

Next: Jedd Gyorko: Deep waiver wire add

Back to fantasy, if you play in a 10 or even 12-team league, Frazier is likely not worth a roster spot. There are just too many hands in the cookie jar. In deeper mixed or AL-only leagues, he’s worth a stash. Frazier possesses hard-hitting contact but tends to hit a few too many ground balls. He’s already owned in 16 percent of CBS Sports leagues. Get him while you can.

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