Todd Frazier Stays In New York, But With The Mets

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Two weeks ago, Todd Frazier was tightlipped about the status of his free agency negotiations.

"We're looking for the best fit right now," Frazier told sportscaster Russ Salzberg when the two sat down for a conversation at the Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College in January.

That best fit apparently has come with the New York Mets.

Frazier has agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract with the Mets pending a physical, a deal first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Monday night. Kevin Williams of the Shore Sports Network confirmed the deal and said Frazier will be playing third base.

During the Grunin Center appearance, Salzberg praised Frazier's leadership skills, saying it would be a loss for the Yankees, where Frazier spent the second half of last season and became a key element of the team's playoff run.

Frazier said he loved his time with the Yankees, but also acknowledged Salzberg's comment that the Mets could use his veteran leadership. You can read more about that appearance here.

Frazier as of yet has not acknowledged the signing on either his Twitter or Instagram accounts.

Frazier, who first captured the admiration of locals when he starred on the Toms River East American Little League team that won the world championship in 1998 and then was a force for both Toms River High School South and Rutgers University before joining the Cincinnati Reds organization. But he has never forgotten his Toms River roots and has been making the rounds of local events, including an appearance at North Dover Elementary School's Career Day last week. A photo of that appearance on his Instagram account was receiving dozens of responses from fans of both the Mets and the Yankees to the news.

Frazier also is one of the key pieces of a documentary on Toms River South baseball head coach Ken Frank and how baseball is beloved in Toms River. That documentary, by Sandy Levine, is set to debut in April at the Grunin Center. (Read more here.)

Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff

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