Photo by Ernest Dove.

Todd Frazier spoke with Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, in which he discussed everything from family to his expectations of himself this year and is definitely worth a read.

The 32-year old said this about signing with the Mets, as a local of Tom’s River, New Jersey:

“This means everything. It’s like everything fell into place. My parents have a place out here. My brother Charlie’s wife is from Port St. Lucie, my brother Jeff grew up a Mets fan. It’s close to home. I’m glad this is where I’m at and overall the pieces are set.’’

However, many people still believe the third baseman preferred to play for his former team, the Yankees, in 2018. He put that idea to rest though:

“The Yankees are in the past, I liked playing with them, but I’m a Met and I really like the camaraderie on this team. I like the way we’re going, a whole bunch of new guys.’’

While obviously he is a professional athlete and he has to have his mind focused only on his team, it was a classy response that he gave regarding the Yankees. He did what he had to do when he made that statement: make it clear he is a Met now and the Yankees are in the rear-view mirror.

Lastly, the third baseman touched on what he believes he can bring to the team and what they already have by saying this:

“I’ll bring the energy. We’ve got the emotion on this team. I’m just going to bring another element of hustle, attitude, the willingness to work and just try to get the best out of these guys day in and day out. No days off.”

“We have leaders on this team. I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, but also I’m not afraid to do it, either. I’m just trying to be who I am and that leadership quality will probably just come out.”

So, no he is not going to change the clubhouse by himself. He clearly is coming in with the intentions of being a difference maker in that aspect, though, which is very refreshing to see.

Many players will try to avoid getting their hands dirty in the clubhouse early in their tenure with a new team out of discomfort. However, Frazier continues to impress in his dealings with the press and his voice is much needed after a season in which players anonymously were calling out their manager at the time, Terry Collins.

The clubhouse is a work in progress throughout the season, but new manager Mickey Callaway can confidently say he has Frazier on his side to make it work.