Rumor: White Sox Listening to Offers for Todd Frazier

The third-base market is not very deep this offseason and Todd Frazier would be an excellent addition to any teams. Because of that, the White Sox have begun to listen to offers for their veteran slugger.

In a move that could point to rebuilding, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports the Chicago White Sox are listening to offers for Todd Frazier. Frazier, who turns 31 in Feb., hit .225 with 40 HRs and 98 RBIs in 2016. Rosenthal notes there isn’t a ton of demand, but says we could see some action on the trade market.

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Of course, Frazier represents one of the many assets the Sox have. With others suggesting the organization will go into rebuild mode, it would only make sense for them to deal a guy like him. He is a power-hitter, who plays great defense. The batting average may be low, but at the end of the day you know you’re going to get 30+ home runs and close to 100 RBIs. A lot of teams could use that type of production in their lineup.

Another factor that could play out will be Frazier’s willingness to play for a team that’s clearly in rebuild mode. He is getting towards the end of his career, so his window to possibly play in the playoffs and World Series is closing. Because of that, he may feel his only move would be to accept a trade and see how he fits in elsewhere. During the season, he did talk about how he wanted to stay in Chicago and how he thought this organization has some great players. But with the team not meeting expectations, it’s hard to imagine they keep this team together.

I don’t know for sure if he really feels that way. That is just pure speculation on my part. But the point is, it can’t feel good for a guy as talented as him to play in one of the worst run organizations in baseball. At some point, you have to wonder why the Sox even waste his talent. If a rebuild is truly the road they want to go down, then the front office needs to do what’s best. And what’s best would be to trade Frazier.

A guy like Frazier probably wouldn’t garner a huge return, but there’s no reason they couldn’t get a top prospect or maybe a few middle level prospects for him. The guy hits home runs, drives in runs and plays great defense. Any team could use a guy like that. If he were to go to an American League team, who has a third baseman already, they could always discuss using him as a designated hitter.

Next: Should White Sox Build Around Todd Frazier?

We’ll have to see how everything continues to play out. But with the reports out there hinting at rebuild, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Frazier, among others, playing in different uniforms next season.

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