Yankees recall Clint Frazier to the major leagues

The Yankees aren’t exactly short of outfield talent, but that isn’t stopping the club from bringing Red Thunder back to the Bronx.

If you’re a fan of redheads capable of mashing the baseball then the New York Yankees have good news for you. Today, the team announced that Clint Frazier, aka Red Thunder, is on his way back to the majors.

The only person disappointed about the club’s decision is David Hale. The relief pitcher has now been designated for assignment. Otherwise, everyone else seems pretty excited about Frazier’s return to the team.

The only surprise about the move was that Frazier received the call up ahead of Brandon Drury. The latter has been tearing up the minor leagues since he was sent down to rehabilitate from a vision issue due to migraine headaches. Drury might have easily expected to be the one coming back to the Yankees if they elected to recall a position player.

Instead, it’s Frazier that is getting the call. He should provide Aaron Boone another athletic outfielder to give rest to Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge. Don’t look for him to displace anyone in Boone’s starting lineup, but he can be an energetic boost to the club’s bench.

If Frazier wants to stick with the big league club, he’s going to need to improve his hitting. He only managed to hit .231 in 39 games for the Yankees last season. Given the fact that he’s still just 23 years old, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. He could easily develop into a valuable, cost-controlled bench player for the Yankees for several more seasons.

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The bottom line here is that the Yankees are going to continue to tinker with the back end of their roster until they find the perfect mix. The club is playing great baseball at the moment, but there’s always an opportunity to make marginal improvements. The Yankees will hope that Clint Frazier can provide just that.