A.J. Preller Strikes Again as Padres Swing Big Trade to Land Adam Frazier
The San Diego Padres are back to their trading ways. On Sunday, general manager A.J. Preller swung a deal to land All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Given what Frazier has done at the plate this year, Preller was able to land him relatively cheaply.
The San Diego Padres are acquiring second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 25, 2021
Frazier, 29, leads baseball in hits this year and is not a free agent until after the 2022 season. One of the best bats on the trade market.
The 29-year-old Frazier is in the middle of a career year. He's hitting .327 with four home runs, 32 RBI, 28 doubles an on-base percentage of .392 and an OPS of .844. He doesn't have much power but he's a guy who gets on base and doesn't swing at bad pitches, as evidence by his 45 strikeouts against 35 walks this season.
To get Frazier, the Padres didn't give up any of their top four prospects. Infielder Tucupita Marcano is the team's fifth prospect, he'll head to Pittsburgh along with Jack Suwinski and Michell Milano.
Source: RHP Michell Miliano is the third player going to Pittsburgh from Sam Diego with SS Tucupita Marcano and OF Jake Suwinski in exchange for UT Adam Frazier.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) July 25, 2021
If this all works out it's a great deal for a Padres team trying to make a deep run this season. Frazier is the kind of guy who keeps the line moving and doesn't chase pitches, something the current Padres offense badly needs. The question now is where he'll play.
The Padres already have All-Star Jake Cronenworth at second base. That makes it likely that Frazier will move around. Cronenworth has seen time at first, while Frazier can play the outfield as well. It's also likely that Preller isn't done and his team could look different by the deadline. We all remember what happened last year.