Clint Frazier was DFA’d by the Chicago Cubs soon before the start of their three-game series for making comments about his old team, the New York Yankees.
The Chicago Cubs are in the Bronx this weekend for a three-game series against the New York Yankees. That meant outfielder Clint Frazier, who has been vocal about his old team, would be returning to Yankee Stadium. He even admitted before the series that he “doesn’t miss some of the things” about the Yankees.
The Cubs announced soon before the start of Friday’s game that Frazier had been designated for assignment. The team made the move after four players were activated from the injured and restricted lists. The change was undertaken specifically to remove Chris Martin from the restricted list.
Clint Frazier was released by the Cubs only days before his scheduled trip to New York to face the Yankees
Given that Frazier made the comments about the Yankees the day before the series began, the timing of the action was impressive. In fact, Frazier refused to speak with the media after learning that he would be DFA’d.
Frazier told Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times that players had to be “a cookie-cutter version” to play for the Yankees, and that if they weren’t, they were called “a terrible distraction.” The outfielder also stated that he “didn’t miss how [he] had to appear for the last five years.”
Frazier was a fifth-round pick by the now-Cleveland Guardians in 2015, and he was traded to the Yankees in 2016 in exchange for Andrew Miller.
He made his squad debut in 2017 and showed flashes of greatness. During his time in New York, he did, however, face considerable controversy and injuries. After the 2021 season, the team decided to release him from his contract.
Over five seasons with the Yankees, Frazier hit.239/.327/.434 with 29 home runs, 97 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 169 hits in 228 games.
Frazier appeared in only 19 games for the Cubs this season, batting.216 with a.653 OPS, one RBI, and eight hits.
Jarred Kelenic was optioned to the minors by the Seattle Mariners last month, just ahead of the team’s series against the Mets in New York, the same franchise that traded him for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz back in 2018.
Frazier was designated for assignment just before his return to New York to face the Yankees over a month later.
