Yankees manager Aaron Boone helped the team hand out Thanksgiving meals to the less fortunate outside Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, but as you might expect, baseball was at the forefront of his conversation with the media.
In particular, the Yankees’ decision to designate outfielder Clint Frazier for assignment last Friday was brought up, and it’s a move Boone noted isn’t the end for Frazier.
“The big leagues are hard, but fortunately, his story’s not complete from a baseball standpoint,” Boone said of Frazier. “The bottom line for Clint is he’s a guy with a lot of ability and it’s just a matter of health. Obviously, he’s dealt with some different injuries and things that have kept him on and off the field at different times, but I feel like if he gets the right opportunity and the right health, he still has an opportunity to write a really good career story.”
Frazier had a strong finish to 2019 and a breakout in 2020, slashing .267/.347/.497 with 20 home runs and 64 RBI in 108 games over those two seasons and earning a Gold Glove finalist spot in 2020, and he looked to be past the concussion issues that plagued him after he hit his head on a wall in spring training in 2018.
However, Frazier was named the starting left fielder going into 2021 and simply couldn’t produce or stay healthy, missing more than half the season due to what the Yankees initially termed vertigo and hitting just .186 in the 66 games he did play.
“Injuries play a big factor in helping you not only establish yourself, but maintain and become a premium player,” Boone said. “All of us that have watched him recognize the talent, and that he still has an amazing opportunity in front of him.
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Boone was often vague about Frazier’s situation in the second half, more so even than Frazier – who cryptically Tweeted in October that he would soon explain his issues – but Frazier’s struggles overall weren’t from a lack of trying on the Yankees’ part.
"We poured into him as much as we possibly could, and I do feel like he made really good strides on a lot of different areas of his game at different times based on some of the input, whether it be coaching, whatever it may be," Boone said. "Again, I just think some of the different ailments and injuries really was what ultimately kept him from finding a consistent path."
And while it’s sad for Boone to see Frazier leave, at least unofficially (unlike Tyler Wade, who was also DFA Friday and dealt to the Angels on Monday), it’s a reminder that nothing is a given.
“It’s always difficult when you live and grind with these guys and you do become like family, so any time someone leaves, there’s some sadness in that,” Boone said. “I certainly wish him well moving forward, but even when you’re really talented, nothing’s a sure thing.”
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Nor is it true, per Boone, that Frazier’s social media antics, including that cryptic October tweet, played any role in the decision.
“In this day and age, the reality is, a lot of really successful people, especially 20-something-year-old people, are very popular on social media and do have a social media presence,” Boone said. “That doesn’t prohibit someone from being uber-successful. Different things affect different guys in positive and negative ways. It’s about each individual navigating their own path and what they can handle. I don’t want to suggest that was necessarily the reason [for Frazier’s DFA].”
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