10 MLB moves that still need to happen this winter

New York Yankees: Trade Clint Frazier

The Yankees made their big move for the winter, signing Gerrit Cole to a $324-million contract that shatters every record for pitcher deals. If it had taken $400 million to sign Cole, the Yankees would have come up with that much. He is the ace the team has been trying to find for well over a decade.

Having spent that much on their big-ticket item, the Yankees won’t be making many more moves this winter.

Signing Cole was the big, headline-grabbing move we’ve come to expect from the Yankees, but they also re-signed veteran outfielder Brett Gardner to a one-year deal for $12.5 million with a team option for 2021.

With Gardner back, the writing is on the wall for young outfielder Clint Frazier. Due to his inability to grow into a complete hitter or a competent defender, Frazier will not figure into the Yankees starting lineup plans in 2020. He is now 25, and time is running out for him to reach his potential.

Frazier saw his most time in the big leagues last year, and showed flashes of the potential that made him a top prospect and key piece in the Andrew Miller trade with Cleveland. In 69 games, he hit .267/.317/.489 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBI. On the downside, he drew only 16 walks in 246 plate appearances, made more than a few boneheaded plays in the field and bristled at criticism from the media.

No team owes an under-performing prospect anything, so the Yankees are certainly free to hold onto Frazier and stash him at Triple-A as insurance for any injuries in their outfield. It wouldn’t hurt to have Frazier around if Giancarlo Stanton misses another entire year, but he has more value to the team now as a trade chip. A year spent languishing in the minors or on the bench would strip away almost all trade value.

The Yankees need an influx of talent for their tapped-out farm system, and Frazier can still bring back at least one valuable prospect.