Another player the Cincinnati Reds seem to be very open to offloading via trade is All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier, who is picking up interest from both the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox.
The World Series champions actually plan on using him for left field, unless they plan on moving Mike Moustakas to a different position. Frazier can play a number of roles, but has mostly been used as an infielder in his five-year career with the Reds, making the All-Star game twice in the last two seasons.
Before the Royals, the White Sox have shown interest in the player. The Reds don’t mind moving Frazier to a team that’s been waiting for a very long time to stand out in a difficult and competitive division, but the moment they asked for shortstop prospect Tim Anderson to be part of the deal, the White Sox backed away from the negotiations, which means that at the moment, the Royals have the edge regarding Frazier.
Frazier can also play as a designated hitter on the AL Central teams if need be. He’s a slugger by definition, hitting 64 home runs over the last two seasons, including 35 in 2015. He had a .498 SLG and .806 OPS last season, slightly better than what some might call his breakout year in 2014.
Frazier makes $7.5 million next season, but isn’t eligible for free agency until 2018. He seems to be a risk worth taking, but someone the rebuilding Reds could do without because of his cost and because he doesn’t fall to be a part of their future plans, although they’re not eager to give him up unless there’s substantial compensation.