The Cleveland Indians would be foolish to trade Clint Frazier at the trade deadline. He has the ability to be a yearly fixture on the American League All-Star team, and might be the best prospect Cleveland has had in years. The Indians should keep him at all costs.
The emergence of Frazier comes at an opportune time on the Cleveland sports scene. The Cavaliers broke the cities 50+ year title drought, and because of that a jinx was broken. Many now believe that the Indians are next in line to win a title. And to do that they will need to make a few additions to the team via the trade market.
Regardless of who can be had for the Indians, you can’t trade Frazier. It might seem outlandish to think he should be the deal breaker in acquiring the missing piece to a World Series team, but by keeping him you will have a 25-30 home run player on your team for years to come.
Cleveland is no stranger to scouting, drafting, and developing players. Names such as Fransisco Lindor, C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez and Jason Kipnis are all home-grown talents that have made the MLB by blazing through Cleveland’s farm system.
Frazier has a shot at adding his name to this list. His impressive minor league numbers are as good indication of future success. Going into the MLB All-Star Weekend, Frazier was hitting .287 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI’s, and 11 stolen bases for Cleveland’s AA affiliate in Akron.
In addition, Frazier was a part of the Futures Game in San Diego. He had quite a successful showing , going 2-3 with an RBI double and a stolen base. That’s a prestigious honor, as only the cream of the crop in the minor leagues are selected to take part in that event.
Frazier was drafted as a high schooler, and is still only 21 years of age. As a result, the Indians have slowly progressed Frazier through their minor league system. He spent his 2014 season at Low A Lake County, his 2015 season at High A Lynchburg, and is currently settled at AA Akron. This pattern would suggest that Frazier will ready for AAA Columbus by next season, with the possibility of a late season call-up in 2017.
There is too much invested with Frazier to trade him. Many have said he’s the best home-grown prospect since Manny Ramirez, mostly because of his ability to hit for power. Frazier is far from reaching his full potential. It’s in the Indians best interest to see this through, as he could be one baseball’s best players in the next 2-3 years.
If you’re the Indians you need to take Clint Frazier off the trade block. Cleveland might want a big bat to win now, but keeping Frazier solidifies your chances for the future.
Follow Daniel James Gentile on twitter @dgentleman9288