Shortly after designating Clint Frazier for assignment, the Yankees have released the outfielder, who was expected to make roughly $2.4 million in arbitration next season.
Frazier was the surprise move from the Yanks on Friday, when they also designated Tyler Wade and Rougned Odor for assignment. The former first-round pick is still working his way back from symptoms related to a concussion he suffered back in 2018.
Frazier’s 2019 season included a tough campaign in the outfield, which he and the Yankees later attributed to lingering effects from his concussion, but he rebounded in 2020 to post a .905 OPS across 39 games. But he plummeted in 2021, quickly losing his role as the starting left fielder and posting a .633 OPS while batting .186. His season was shut down after just 66 games due to more symptoms related to his concussion.
“Fortunately for him, his story is not complete from a baseball standpoint,” Boone said at the Yankees’ food drive on Monday. “The bottom line for Clint is he’s a guy with a lot of ability and it’s just a matter of, he’s dealt with some injuries and different things that kept him off the field at times.”
Frazier was taken fifth overall by Cleveland back in 2013, Frazier was the headliner in the Andrew Miller trade back in 2016, and while he finally found his way into the starting role in 2021, it didn’t last long, and his Yankee career is now over.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch