The Reds were made an offer they couldn’t refuse and now the Toddfather is headed to Chicago.
Third baseman Todd Frazier was acquired by the White Sox on Wednesday in a three-team deal with the Dodgers and the Reds, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
In exchange, the Dodgers and the Reds will receive three prospects each with 22-year-old righthander Frankie Montas, 24-year-old second baseman Micah Johnson, and 24-year-old outfielder Trayce Thompson (brother of NBA star Klay) going to Los Angeles and 21-year-old middle infielder Jose Peraza, 23-year-old second baseman Brandon Dixon and 25-year-old outfielder Scott Schebler being sent to Cincinnati, per Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.
Frazier, 29, is one of the premier power-hitting third basemen in the MLB today. He hit 35 home runs and 89 RBIs on hitting splits of .255/.309/.498 last season while also winning the 2015 Home Run Derby in front of his hometown fans at the Great American Ballpark. He is also an underrated defender at the hot corner, having ranked seventh in defensive WAR last year amongst all qualified third basemen.
The two-time All-Star, whose name was rumored to be on the trade block recently, is owed $7.5 million next season and is eligible for arbitration after the 2017 season.
White Sox, who disappointed in the 2015 campaign with a 76-86 record (fourth in the AL Central), are now revitalized with perhaps the league’s deepest trio of infield bats as Frazier and the also newly-acquired Brett Lawrie will complement resident baseball smasher Jose Abreu finely in Chicago’s batting order.
The Reds, meanwhile, could be hinting at a teardown of their aging roster in favor of a complete rebuild with this move, while the Dodgers strengthen their elite crop of young talent even further.
*Stats courtesy of ESPN*
