Rocio Robles
All stories must come to an end, and Todd Frazier’s MLB story had its final chapter last season after the player announced his retirement in an interview.
The 36-year-old right-hander announced his retirement from the Major Leagues after 11 years of service with numerous teams including the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He will finish his career with a .241/.318/.445 record and a total of 218 homers and 640 RBIs in 1244 games and 4392 at-bats.
Todd Frazier’s best years were undoubtedly with the Reds, the team that saw him make his MLB debut. His performances during his time with the franchise helped them win the National League Central division title in 2012 and earned him a call to the All-Star Game in 2014 and 2015. Additionally, he was crowned the 2015 Home Run Derby champion in front of his home fans at Great American Ball Park.
Todd Frazier left the team in 2016 for the Chicago White Sox after posting a .253 batting average in his time with Cincinnati. However, the player from Point Pleasant, New Jersey only managed to finish a season with a batting average above .250 on one occasion since that year, and he struggled to establish himself on every team since.
The 2021 MLB campaign was arguably Todd Frazier’s worst, as he hit .086/.200/.114 in just 13 games with Pittsburgh. Besides, he drove in only four runs and failed to hit any homers in that time frame – a performance which may have influenced his decision. Todd Frazier was finally waived by the organization in March, marking his final Major League appearance.
What did Todd Frazier say after announcing his retirement from MLB?
“Baseball has been my love my whole life. It’s very hard to let it go. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life, but where I am in my career and where I am in my life makes me think it was the right decision. I think it’s time for me to become that family figure I’ve always wanted to be,” he said. Todd Frazier in an interview.
While he did not return to MLB in 2021, Todd Frazier was on the roster of the U.S. team that competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in a silver medal-winning campaign.
“I hope I was the guy who brought energy, excitement, who had a ton of fun, but who also knew how to do his job when it mattered the most. I hope I brought joy to the fans I played for because that’s all I wanted to do,” said Frazier – words that will surely have struck a chord deep in the hearts of Reds fans who got to see him in what was the best moment of his career.
