Frazier ignoring rumors Infielder says he can’t control talk about possible trades
Life for a baseball player gets filled with first-time moments. Some are good, like getting your first big-league call-up. Some are bad, like the first time an athlete goes through a slump. Then there’s potentially career-altering firsts, like what Adam Frazier experienced in the offseason.
Frazier was a rare bright spot for the Pirates during a tough 2019. The second baseman hit .278 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs and posted 2.7 Wins Above Replacement while also finishing as a finalist for a Gold Glove award.
But with the hire of new general manager Ben Cherington and the subsequent trade of star center fielder Starling Marte, it was safe to wonder who was next to get traded. The Pirates have depth in the middle infield, and Frazier would be one of the Pirates with higher trade value. So, it wasn’t shocking to hear Frazier in trade rumors for the first time in his career.
“Well, that was interesting, the few days when — I guess Marte was the name going in, and then I kind of rose above that,” Frazier told the Post-Gazette. “So that was a pretty interesting call to get, waking up, not knowing if you could be across the country right now in Arizona or wherever it may be.”
Frazier was at his offseason home in Nashville, Tenn., when the rumors started. Frazier chose to handle it by continuing to focus on his training.
“All you can do is just take it in stride because it’s out of your control,” Frazier said. “Be where your feet are and try to be the best player you can be, the best teammate you can be, and if something happens, it happens. Like I said, it’s out of my control.”
Frazier just arrived at camp Sunday, but the relationship with new manager Derek Shelton was already going well before he made it to Pirate City.
“We were in the same autograph session at PiratesFest,” Frazier said. “We spent an hour or so together talking during that, and the conversations were getting to know each other and what he values, that kind of deal.”
Shelton fondly remembered the initial meeting.
“He has a good sense of humor,” Shelton said. “I enjoyed getting to know more about him as a person. As a player, he’s a versatile guy in the field and as a hitter. You need guys like him on your team.”
We caught up with Frazier on a few subjects like the tumultuous second half and what he enjoys about spring training so far.
Post-Gazette: What do you take away from the way that the second half ended?
Frazier: What not to do? That’s a takeaway, I guess. There’s not a whole lot of positives to take away from that. So that would be what not to do, and how we can better come together as a team, what we can do as a team to better engage in relationships and move forward.
Post-Gazette: What does “changing the narrative” mean to you?
Frazier: It’s like nobody has forgotten the second half we had last year. So coming to the field every day with the atmosphere we had, it was pretty rough. So we’d like to enjoy going to the yard every day. It’s the major leagues. It would be best if you were enjoying going to the field every day and competing at the highest level.
So it’s not far removed from a decent season the year before and a solid first half. We know we have the talent here. It’s just about taking care of bettering yourself every day as a player and then coming together as a team and putting it out on the field and surprising people.
Post-Gazette: What have you heard about camp from guys that have already been here a little bit?
Frazier: Get in, get out. Get your work done, get what you need. It’s your career, so take ownership of what you need to get done. Take care of what you need to get done and get better that day and move forward.
Post-Gazette: How refreshing is it to kind of have that more individualized approach?
Frazier: It’s nice. You can trust it. I’ve always tried to know myself as a player and get what I need to do each day and get that done to stay healthy, stay on the field, get better as a player, and then get out. Instead of just standing around and socializing or wasting time, I feel like I can make use of the time. It seems like that’s what’s going on.
Around the horn
• Full-squad workouts start Monday. Every position reported to camp by the Sunday deadline and the majority were early. “It’s great to see that all guys have bought into what we’re doing,” Shelton said. “It’s good to see how excited they are to be here.” Players have been buzzing about how efficient practices are under Shelton.
• The first week of camp is mostly about the pitchers, and every one of them has thrown two bullpen sessions. This is an especially good sign for guys such as Edgar Santana and Chad Kuhl, who are returning from Tommy John surgeries.
• One of the running jokes at Pirate City was finding out how tall Oneil Cruz really is. The shortstop prospect was listed at 6 feet 6 in the spring training media guide. Several people second-guessed the listing. It turns out they were right. Cruz took his physical Sunday and clocked in at 6-7. The 21-year-old is determined to play shortstop. Watching his fielding group will be a highlight.