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Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier Penciled In To Lineup

By Nicholas Caporoso

TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 12: Adam Frazier #26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates gets the force out of Steve Pearce #28 of the Toronto Blue Jays at second base but cannot turn the double play as two runs score on the play in the fifth inning during MLB game action at Rogers Centre on August 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 12: Adam Frazier #26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates gets the force out of Steve Pearce #28 of the Toronto Blue Jays at second base but cannot turn the double play as two runs score on the play in the fifth inning during MLB game action at Rogers Centre on August 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been in a rebuilding process.  One player who was expected to be traded this offseason looks to be the starting second baseman.

The Pittsburgh Pirates started the offseason by trading Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals on Christmas Eve.  The club has also shipped off Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon in trades to the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees.  The team is trying to accumulate all the young talent that they can and to produce a winner years down the road.  Many have thought there would be more trades, especially with the rumors surrounding Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, and Adam Frazier all offseason.

Dereck Shelton, the manager of the club, mentioned that Frazier will be pencilled in as the starting second baseman per Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune.  Last year, the lefty hit .230/.297/.364 with a wRC+ of 80.  However, he has been a plus defensive player ranking among the top second baseman in Statcast’s Outs Above Average (OAA) measurement.

For 2021, Frazier projects at .265/.331/.401 with 1.3 fWAR per STEAMER projections.  That’s around a league average starter.  He will likely continue to hit early in the order and try to provide a spark for the team.  With Shelton saying he’s penciled in the lineup, that indicates Frazier will remain with the club to start 2021.

However, the keyword there is penciled.  The Pirates have been trying to move Frazier for almost a year now so there is still time for the incumbent second baseman to be moved.  The door is left open, especially as Spring Training is just getting underway.  The Pirates signed Todd Frazier last week and for him to be added to the 40-man out of Spring, a player has to be taken off.  Adam Frazier represents the most likely trade candidate.

Next. The Pirates Potential Future Good Problem. dark

It sounds like Frazier will remain the starter at second base, with Shelton penciling him in for the job.  However, pencil indicates that the room is still left open for a potential trade and there’s still over a month before Opening Day.  If there is any news, we will have it covered to stay tuned to the site for updates.

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