“It’s a tough pill to swallow, yeah,” Clint Frazier said to the media on Sunday after being told he was being demoted back down to Triple-A Scranton. “It’s never fun, especially with how much I felt like I’ve contributed to this team this year.”

With slugger Giancarlo Stanton set to return from his rehab stint on Tuesday, and with Aaron Judge set to follow him in the next few weeks, the outfield at Yankee Stadium was beginning to look rather crowded. When the Yankees acquired MLB home run leader Edwin Encarnacion from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, it meant that Frazier’s bat, the only part of his game that has stood out this season, became expendable.

Through 53 games this season, Frazier has hit to a .283 batting average with 11 home runs and 22 extra-base hits. The biggest knock against Frazier’s game has been his defensive struggles, one of the main reasons why the Cleveland Indians agreed to trade Frazier to the Yankees in the first place for Andrew Miller in 2016. Frazier’s defense came under harsh scrutiny, especially after committing three errors during an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game against the Boston Red Sox a few weeks ago. Frazier refused to speak to the media following the game.

Fellow Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, has offered kind words of encouragement for Frazier following his demotion. “Sometimes when decisions are made, you don’t always agree with them, but you’ve just got to keep your head down and keep moving forward,” Gardner said. “He’s a guy that has a ton of talent. He’s going to play this game for a long time.”

“He’s played a big role on a winning team, and that doesn’t necessarily stop now, but this is where we’re at with the roster situation,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So obviously tough news to deliver, but hopefully he can make the most of it and continue to get better at his craft and know that he’s going to play a role for us again.”

With the Yankees’ surplus of offensive talent, combined with questions surrounding their starting rotation, Frazier is seen by many as the main centerpiece in a trade this summer to acquire a pitcher like Madison Bumgarner, Max Scherzer, Marcus Stroman or Aaron Sanchez. 

“I’ve been traded once, so who knows?” Frazier said. “I can’t control that, I just try to play as good as I can to put myself in a good position.”

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Whether or not Frazier will be playing baseball as a Yankee past 2019, one could only guess. The next few weeks will decide whether or not Frazier has a future in pinstripes.

New York Yankees fans undoubtedly missed injured outfielder Aaron Judge a little extra this past Sunday night.

While often Judge’s power behind the plate initially earns fan praise amid his jaw–dropping moonshot home runs, his glove’s absence hurt the team extensively as his replacement, Clint Frazier, essentially cost the Yankees a game. Although his right–field troubles left fans leaving the Bronx scratching their heads with confusion and frustration, Frazier’s response with his words and play the next day allow us to understand a potential New York star’s character to a further extent.

Frazier initially declined to discuss Sunday night’s game with the media, a game that included three run–allowing fielding mistakes where the Yankees fell 8–5. However, the reporters eventually found Frazier outside his locker, where Frazier released his alarming thoughts. Frazier opened up about his overall time while wearing pinstripes, illustrating how his disaster night only added to ongoing frustrations as he stated, “I know I don’t fit the mold of what some of the past and current Yankees are like, and that may be why it’s a little bit harder for me to navigate every day. I’m trying to be myself in here, and sometimes it feels like people have an issue with me being myself. It’s been difficult. It’s been hard.”

Frazier then elaborated further, mentioning his struggles throughout his journey as he concluded, “My entire life, I’ve always kind of been different. I’ve struggled to fit in because people perceive me a certain way. Whenever I was young, the only thing I felt that kept me relevant was baseball. Then in Cleveland, they were upset with me there. Then when I came over here, the magnitude of it is 10 times bigger. I’m just trying to fit in on this clubhouse and be myself. And it’s hard here. It’s hard to do that, but I want to be here, and I know I’ve got to stand and talk to the media. But [Sunday night] night was the most difficult game of my professional career in the outfield.”

Frazier later included a statement where he directly accused the media, referencing apparent false stories the media generated and distributed, much to Frazier’s displeasure. To Frazier’s credit, numerous tough breaks and difficulties flooded his early days as a Yankee, including last year’s season–ending concussion, which rubbed the New York media the wrong way, as multiple stories questioned Frazier’s concussion severity and his toughness. Frazier’s flashy personality, starting with his bright read hair and custom cleats, unfortunately gives the media another reason to scorn the young player, as a similar situation played out with another former New York star who drew personality criticisms with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

As a true New York star should, Frazier silenced the criticisms with his play the very next day. Despite a loss, Frazier rocked a two–run home run to left center against the Blue Jays Tuesday night. The ball traveled a monstrous 412 feet, as Frazier most likely took his recent frustrations out on the outside fastball.

Whether or not Frazier deserves the negative media surrounding him, the 24-year-old’s raw talent remains valuable amongst the Yankees roster despite their already loaded roster. However, learning to dodge the drama that comes alongside wearing pinstripes stands as an uncompleted, yet necessary task for the young Frazier to take on.

The New York Yankees re-signed key outfielder Aaron Hicks to a seven-year extension this week before he hit the free agency market. The contract will run through the 2025 season. The deal also reportedly includes a club option for the 2026 season.

Yanks Ink Aaron Hicks To Extension

Though exact details of the contract aren’t out, Hicks will make $70 million over the first seven years of the deal. The outfielder will skip over his final year of arbitration and kick off the deal this year.

“He’s a big part of this team and a big part of our success … I always love playing by him,” said Yankees star Aaron Judge of Hicks. “To hear he got seven years, we’ll be playing together for a long time.”

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Hicks was scheduled to hit free agency after the 2019 season. In a class marked for its lack of outfield depth, the Hicks deal looks like a steal for both sides.  The 29 year old is coming off career highs in games, homers, RBIs, and WAR. He was good for a .248 average, 27 homers, and 79 RBIs in his third season in New York.

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Interestingly, the contract comes just over a month after he signed a one-year, $6 million deal to stay with the Yankees. During his time in New York, the switch-hitting outfielder has been invaluable to the budding contenders. Manager Aaron Boone referred to Hicks as “maybe the most underrated player in the game.”

The Yankees will use Hicks similarly to current fourth outfielder Brett Gardner. With Judge in right field, Giancarlo Stanton holding down the designated hitter spot, and some combination of prospects Clint Frazier and Estevan Florial in left field, Hicks is a dependable bat without much pressure. As he declines, he can easily slide over to left, be a plus defender and let one of the younger guys man center similar to how Gardner did. The deal allows New York to compete in his current year while also providing a steady path for the future.