The White Sox have signed outfielder Clint Frazier to a minor league contract, per James Fegan of The Athletic. Frazier has been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Fegan also relays that the club has signed right-hander Bryan Shaw to a minor league deal. Shaw will report to Arizona before eventually making his way to Charlotte.
Frazier, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Rangers over the winter but didn’t make the club out of Spring Training. He reported to the Triple-A Round Rock Express and got into 15 games but was released earlier this week, reportedly a mutual decision between him and the club. Prior to the release, he walked in 11.7% of his plate appearances but also struck out in 30% of them. His .250/.350/.442 batting line looks solid at first glance but is actually subpar in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, translating to a 91 wRC+.
Frazier was a fifth overall draft pick back in 2013 and a top 100 prospect in the next few seasons but he hasn’t been able to live up to that billing as of yet. He seemed to be cementing himself as a viable big league hitter with the Yankees from 2018 to 2020, hitting .267/.351/.485 in that time for a 123 wRC+. But he struggled badly in 2021, hitting .186/.317/.317 before getting placed on the injured list with vertigo in July. He didn’t return in the second half and was released at the end of the year. He signed with the Cubs last year but was designated for assignment after just 19 games.
He’s now a few years removed from his last really strong showing but there’s no risk for the White Sox in bringing him aboard and seeing if he can get back on track. They have Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Benintendi, Óscar Colás and Eloy Jiménez getting most of the playing time in their outfield and designated hitter mix right now but Colás is hitting just .221/.284/.294 through his first 22 major league games. Frazier will give the club another non-roster depth option alongside Billy Hamilton, Jake Marisnick, Stephen Piscotty and Victor Reyes. Frazier has a little over four years of major league service time, meaning he won’t be able to get to the six-year mark this year. If he happens to get back into a groove and make the club, they could retain him for next year via arbitration because he won’t automatically qualify for free agency.
Shaw, 35, is a veteran who has appeared in each of the past 12 seasons, spending time with Arizona, Cleveland, Colorado and Seattle. He has a career 3.92 ERA in 753 appearances over that span. He signed a minor league deal with the Sox in February but didn’t make the club at the end of Spring Training. He was released at the end of March but now returns to the organization on another deal. Since he’s been out of action for about a month, he’ll go to the club’s facilities in Arizona to get back into game shape before joining the Knights to provide the club with some bullpen depth.
I bet Clint Frazier stopped using Jackson because nobody knew who he was.
Maybe he can change his name to Clint Howard and maybe director Ron will give him some work.
Hahah. I forgot about that guy. Clint Howard looks to have taken some Randy Quaid pills in recent years. Looking like he smells like pee
His thespian career height was at 4 yrs of age when he played “Leon” and offered everybody he encountered in Mayberry a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
You have not seen Evilspeak.
Evilspeak is classick.
Ice Cream Man is too
Just fast forwarded to the good parts on Dailymotion. I haven’t seen that movie in over 40 years.
Saw a few minutes of Ice Cream Man on Svengoolie a while ago. Will have to check out the unedited version someday.
How in the world does signing all these lousey OFers do ANY good at all? None of them are going to move the needle.
As someone mentioned elsewhere, this is prep for when the fire sale happens. Stash these guys in Charlotte. When someone gets moved, you seamlessly transition these guys to the MLB roster.
I would hate to think Piscotty, Frazier, Reyes, Marisnick and Hamilton were the fallback plan once it was discovered a AA outfielder wasn’t really a solution in RF for a team making a serious, and likely final, playoff run.
The White Sox should be assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Ahahaha!
WRC+ is meaningless
That’s up for debate.
WRC+ is a worthless stat
Starting to make sense.
WRC+ is a useless stat
So what you are saying is that the stat is worth talking about a lot.
yoursister, Your post is useless.
You’ve convinced me!!
@coffin that third point really changed my mind as well
Good for you Chi-Sox, wish you my best Clint”Jackson” Frazier, if your nasty! I’m sorry Mrs. Jackson!
wRC+ is worthless.p?
It’s hard to believe in this day and age people are that clueless.
Having a different opinion than you doesn’t mean they are clueless. They just look at it in a different way. Statistics are only as important as the individual looking at them want them to be.
Someone who wrote wRC+ 27 is worthless is clueless.
How can anyone with a clue defend that? All you have to do is look at the results.
These comment sections are filled with the clueless.
A player with a wRC+ 27 is worthless. 100 is league average. I think the Sox have 2 players (Sosa and Gonzalez) that have a negative wRC+, so they’re a void, less than worthless.
I made a mistake. I mixed RC27 with wRC+.
He wrote wRC+ is worthless. Everyone with a clue knows that’s absurd. Therefore he is clueless. That’s not an opinion.
I don’t even believe he thinks it’s worthless. He likely believes it’s an overrated stat, which is an opinion, but not worthless.
Shaw was decent in spring training if I’m ,remembering correctly.
White Sox season: saved.
You mean Jackson or whatever his name is now, he’s a lost career now
Nah he will eventually figure it out again and will become at least a solid 4th OF. All of those injuries when he was a Yankee really screwed up his development. Some hitting coach will unlock his talent again and he will surprise everybody. Josh Donaldson had a rough start and eventually got back on track. No reason Frazier can’t do the same. Teams keep taking a flyer on him for a reason. Glad he dropped the Jackson nonsense. Everytime I hear someone using that name I think of the House episode where the kid Jackson was born a hermaphrodite and his parents chose to make him a boy.
RESIGN HAHN!
FIRE KENNY WILLIAMS!!
SELL THE TEAM REINSDORF!!!
Frazier has zero chance of getting playing time in their OF. Dumb move by him. He should’ve waited for another team with a clearer path to playing time.
You never know. If the White Sox go on a sell off, spots could open up all over the field. Either way, he will get to show off his talent in their minor leagues for other teams to watch as well. Sometimes you just need to take what you can get right now in order to get something better later.
I don’t know at this point I think Frazier should be looking for an opportunity with a team like the Rays or Braves who are known for unlocking potential. The guy has/had tremendous bat speed which is a big plus. Honestly I think he is afraid of getting hurt again and is playing like it. Kamikaze Tanaka said it best “Players are supposed to be warriors, not a monk!!” Good coaching is what he needs.
Top jimmy – I don’t have any expectations from signing Frazer, but he “has no chance at playing time”? Have you seen what they roll out there every day?
@top jimmy- how is it a dumb move? When there’s actual no risk taken?
He said dumb move by Frazier. No one cares about the white Sox. They suck
Frazier has health issues. I’ll bet Shaw is up before end of May. Frazier is for when Eloy/Robert go on the DL.
Sad to say White Sox are toast. Kenny Williams has the goods on Jerry. Even with his wife dead Jerry still employs Kenny. New ownership needed. So many problems not just one stands out as the cause of the severe underperformance of this team. Best description is unmatched parts.
To answer the question in your previous headline, based upon these transactions, yes…the White Sox season is already lost.
Blake Rutherford wouldn’t pick up the phone?
If Clint is reading this, he should get someone to take him to Speedy’s in Lexington for NC barbecue one day before the White Sox eventually release him.
You know I was just joking when I suggested the Sox sign him. Don’t you know a joke when you hear one? Cmon Rick. Jackson-Clint he should just change it to Lame.
Jackson Frazier didn’t stick, maybe try DFA Frazier
You meant DFAZIER….
Dumpster diving Theo! Good times
Apparently Hahn consulted the Archbishop of Chicago on how to turn around the WS dreadful season. His advice was to say two Hail Mary’s immediately and repent for his sins against the fan base. Frazier and Shaw definitely count as the Hail Marys.
Frazier showed great potential at one point. His bat speed is exceptional.
Whether he can finally put it all together remains to be seen.