An open juju death threat to the Yankees

Yesterday, batting lead-off, Clint Frazier went 2 for 4 with a run, lifting his average to .368. But who cares? He's come to bat only 19 times in 2018, so all numbers are music-less jazzercise. 

Thus, let's ignore his .302 average at Scranton, with 8 home runs in 164 at bats, which belied his recovery from a dark spring concussion that, at one point, had him unable to recite the names of his pets. The kid - he's just 23 - recovered from a bloody hell.

Moreover, let's ignore that "Red Thunder" played CF yesterday, a sign of how speed has become part of his game. He stole six bases at Triple A, and the other night legged a single into a crucial double. Two years ago, when the Yankees obtained him for Andrew Miller, he was jacked like an East German lady weight-lifter, a future DH. Now, he roams center-field.

But maybe not for long.

Frazier played yesterday because Brett Gardner's knee is barking and a wicked lefty was pitching for Seattle. He'll probably play this weekend, because the Yanks won't subject Gardy's knee to Tampa's fake turf pavement. He could conceivably stick through the Philadelphia series; the Yanks might need a pinch-hitter. By the time Boston arrives, unless he's still hitting .360, Frazier will probably be headed back to Scranton... or, gulp, a bigger city.

I cannot ditch the feeling that the Yankees are showcasing Frazier the way a Kardashian teases her jungle theme park while emerging from a cab. (Last night, in Scranton, they played Billy McKinney in CF, another showcase.) Of the MLB-ready prospects in the Yankee farms, Frazier has the highest long term ceiling and the worst short-term hope. McKinney and Brandon Drury are worth noting, but neither matches Frazier.  

I don't know what will happen with Frazier, but the idea of trading him for J.A. Happ or Cole Hamels makes me violently ill. If the Yankees do such a thing, I would probably find myself rooting against those players, hoping they get pounded, just to embarrass the front office. I know that's unreasonable. I understand the paramount need for pitching. I get it that the Yankees would need to be "all-in" for 2018. But out of the blocks, I would hate those pitchers with a passion hotter than a billion suns. That's the truth, folks. 

If the Yankees trade Frazier for a three-month rental on a rusty tin can, I will deny said rusty tin can all personal juju throughout 2018.

Who's with me?

NOTE TO YANKEES