(this article was printed last season)
As www.metsblog.com reported Reds all-star third baseman, Todd Frazier is on the trading block. He has a $7.5 million dollar price tag for this year and arbitration after that. The Reds are looking for major league ready talent and I have just the package for them.
The Mets can deal them, Matt Harvey, Michael Conforto and a lower level prospect. Don’t give them the opportunity to say “we’ll think about it”.
Harvey will never re-sign with the Mets when the time comes do be pro-active. Conforto is a real talent but Frazier is a consistent home run hitter. Conforto has 25-homer power but not 35. Now I understand Great American Ballpark is small but he will hit 25-30 at Citi Field, you can take that to the bank.
He would be the Mets everyday first baseman and fill in at third base. Lucas Duda would fill in at first and pinch hit. He’d still get 400 at bats and probably hit 20 home runs in situational play. David Wright will probably play no more than 120 games so Frazier is the perfect guy to have to cover for him.
The Mets are looking for a cheap outfielder and Lagares says he can start the season so that would suffice. You would sure up the infield and Frazier could play a bit in left field as well to give the Mets a powerful lineup on days that Wright and Duda are playing as well.
Frazier is a New Jersey kid. He understands the market and he gives the Mets that bat to protect Wright and help Duda.
If the Mets don’t get Frazier then I’d go back to Ben Zobrist who is a more expensive alternative today but Frazier will have to get paid down the road. The Mets may be able to win without spending money but this move would be similar to the time the Mets acquired Mike Piazza. We saw what Yoenis Cespedes did but he’s gone and so far there’s nobody to replace his bat in the lineup. The fielding and arm will never be fully replaced.
The Mets lost Bartolo Colon’s salary as well as Daniel Murphy’s. If they want to have a full ballpark they will have to spend some money even if it means extending the payroll a bit. Frazier won’t do that this year so this deal is tailor made for the Mets if you think about it. Then spend some money to fortify the bullpen and the team will be ready for battle again and the fans will show up in droves. If GM Sandy Alderson tries to recreate the magic that occurred last season he’ll see that having lightning strike twice in the same area is a long shot.
