Frazier hasn’t quite turned the page on tumultuous time with Yanks just yet
NEW YORK — Clint Frazier isn’t losing any sleep over being designated for assignment by the Yankees. The controversial outfielder was excited for his next chapter on Tuesday.
When a fan responded to a Frazier tweet with, “I’m so glad this dude isn’t a Yankee anymore,’’ Frazier shot back: “So am I,” along with four “rolling on the floor laughing” emojis.
Frazier was unceremoniously released by the Yankees to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. He was not a free agent long, signed by the Cubs right before MLB instituted the lockout.
After a tumultuous five years in the Yankees organization, Frazier says he is eager to turn the page — but not before bringing up a few of his rougher moments in pinstripes.
“Me being happy I’m on the Cubs has nothing to do with Yankees fans,” Frazier wrote on Twitter. “It has to do with the fact that I’m happy to be able to play somewhere I’ll get a better chance at playing.”
Frazier is clearly looking to get off to a better start after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Cubs.
“One of the biggest reasons I chose to come here was the fan base and how electric you guys can be towards your players,” Frazier wrote. “I’ll be just as electric for you guys, too. Here’s to leaving my razor at home.”
That’s obviously a shot at the Yankees’ facial hair policy prohibiting players’ hair to extend past the collar or facial hair that extends past the top lip. It’s also an acknowledgment of the bad start he had with the Yankees. Frazier showed up for spring training in 2017 with long-ish hair, which annoyed the front office and some in the clubhouse.
He also joked about the other controversy in his first spring training with the Bombers after being acquired from Cleveland.
“I’ll be continuing to wear #77, as well,’’ Frazier wrote on Twitter. “I requested #7, but unfortunately it was taken, marking that as the first time I ever asked for that number.”
According to reports at the time, Frazier had requested Mickey Mantle’s retired No. 7. Frazier and the Yankees both denied the reports and insisted he never made the request.
“I would never ask for a legend’s number,” Frazier wrote on Twitter at the time. “Ready to play some baseball. I care more about the front of the jersey than the back.’’
After arriving in the 2016 trade that sent Andrew Miller to Cleveland, Frazier was always about potential. He was limited by injuries — including a concussion in spring 2018 that had lingering effects for years.
Frazier, 27, finally seemed to put his “legendary bat speed” together at the big league level in 2020. He came out of that season having won the starting left field job going into last season.
But the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 draft did not play after June 30 of this year because of health issues related to dizziness.
That set up months of medical tests and therapy attempts. Frazier was on track to play a rehab game in the minors in August but pulled himself out after not feeling “right.”