Brian Cashman definitely wants to hold on to Clint Frazier this season, but the weakness of the Yankees starting rotation may make that impossible.
Clint Frazier thought he’d hit a go-ahead home run in Tampa this weekend only to be robbed by a speaker at Tropicana field. Despite his bad luck, Brian Cashman sees a lot of potential in the young outfielder. Even though he was optioned to Triple-A today, Frazier is still someone the Yankees want to keep for the long haul.
The Yankees general manager admits he gets a lot of calls on the red-headed outfielder but he claims to be a “big Clint Frazier fan.” Cashman didn’t completely rule out the idea of dealing Frazier for a starting pitcher before the deadline, but he made it abundantly clear that he’d prefer to avoid that scenario.
Unfortunately, Cashman may be powerless to keep Frazier in the fold. Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga’s recent rough outings have highlighted New York’s need to acquire another starting pitcher. The Yankees don’t just need a starter, they need a pitcher talented enough to serve as their No. 2 starter in the playoffs.
Counting on CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray or Masahiro Tanaka to fill that role seems risky at best. Some fans might call it madness. It’s possible one of those three guys could get hot during the second half, but it’s not something Cashman can bet on. If the Yankees want to break their World Series drought, dealing for a top-line starting pitcher will be a necessity.
Of course, those sort of arms don’t grow on trees. This year’s starting pitching market is thin, at best. That means it’s going to require the Yankees to part with meaningful talent to acquire an impact arm. Frazier, at 24 years old, is just the sort of major league ready talent that selling teams will covet.
Ultimately, Cashman is going to have to choose whether or not he wants to bet on the certainty of Frazier or the tantalizing potential or prospects like Justus Sheffield. It’s highly unlikely he’s going to be able to keep both as the trade deadline approaches. Most teams with starting pitching for sale will require one major league ready player and multiple prospects to get a deal done.
It’s possible that Cashman can convince a team Brandon Drury is the right major league ready player to take on, but it’s pretty clear Frazier has the higher upside. The way he’s handled the bat in the Bronx this year allows him to comfortably profile as an above-average corner outfielder for years to come.
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Cashman and company would like him to make that happen with the Yankees, but they won’t hold on to him if the right offer comes in this summer. Credit the Yankees GM for playing a solid game in the media here. By talking up Frazier in the press, he’s going to force selling teams to make quality offers if they want to pry him away from New York. Cashman won’t give Frazier away for a mediocre pitcher, but he’ll begrudgingly move him in a deal for a solid No. 2 starter.