Jeff Frazier | 1B

Biography:

Traded from the Mariners back to the Tigers for future considerations. Acquired by Seattle as player to be named later from Detroit in exchange for Yorman Bazardo (rhp) on Feb. 7, 2007.

PERSONAL: graduated from Toms River South High School in June, 2001.

...brother Charlie played for the Marlins organization from 1999-2005 and Todd currently plays in the Cincinnati organization.

...participated in the 1995 Little League World Series with Toms River South.

...attended Rutgers University.

...named to Baseball America's Freshman All-American squad.

...played with Danbury in the New England Collegiate League during the summer and was named a league all-star, in addition to be selected a Second-Team Summer All-American by Baseball America.

...named second-best prospect in the league by Baseball America.

...earned All-Big East Conference honors as a sophomore.

...led conference with 19 doubles.

...played with Chatham in the Cape Cod League in the summer.

...an All-Big East Conference selection as a junior.

...led the Big East Conference with his .382 batting average and was tabbed a Second-Team All-American by Baseball America and USA Today's Sports Weekly.

...originally selected by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the June 2004 draft.

Peralta here, Frazier up, Larish and Sizemore down
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on July 29, 2010 at 4:05 PM

By now you already know Jhonny Peralta was in uniform soon after first pitch at Tropicana Field, and Scott Sizemore was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to make room. After the game came word that the Tigers swapped bench bats, designating Jeff Larish for assignment and purchasing the contract of Jeff Frazier from the Mud Hens.

Frazier is batting .273 in Toledo with 32 doubles, 23 home runs and 68 RBIs in 104 games. Eight of those home runs have come in July, including a two-homer game Wednesday against Pawtucket. It's a good story for Frazier, a former Tigers draft pick who left and came back via trade a few years ago and was hoping his numbers to get him a call-up this season, as John Wagner chronicled in The Blade this morning.

The big plus for Frazier that helped get him the call is the fact that he's a right-handed power bat. With Damon and Boesch and Kelly, the Tigers had enough left-handed bats available in the outfield, but kind of a shortage from the right side now that Raburn is pretty much playing close to every day. Detroit will face left-hander Jon Lester Friday night and then is on track to fellow lefties John Danks and Mark Buehrle next week.

Larish was out of minor league options, so they had to designate him. If he passes through waivers, the Tigers will be able to outright him to Toledo.

Frazier to man outfield for Tigers on Friday
Club will make room by designating Larish for assignment

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

07/29/10 4:46 PM ET

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jeff Frazier has earned a shot in the big leagues. The Tigers will purchase his contract Friday from Triple-A Toledo and put him in their starting lineup against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Tigers announced the move after Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Rays. They'll make room for him on the 25-and 40-man rosters by designating for assignment the contract of infielder Jeff Larish.

The move essentially came back to adding a right-handed power bat to a Tigers roster that has an abundance of left-handed hitters for the first time in years. With Ryan Raburn now in the regular lineup while Magglio Ordonez is on the disabled list, Detroit had plenty from the left side, including Brennan Boesch, Johnny Damon and Don Kelly.

That wasn't a big consideration right after Ordonez fractured his right ankle last weekend, Carlos Guillen went on the DL with a right calf strain and Brandon Inge broke his left hand. The Tigers needed infield help, and Larish's ability to play third made him an option. Jhonny Peralta's arrival from Cleveland to take over at third makes that no longer an issue. Detroit's upcoming matchups with left-handed starters is another matter, from Jon Lester on Friday to likely John Danks and Mark Buehrle next week with the White Sox in Detroit.

Enter Frazier, whose 32 doubles for the Mud Hens top the International League and whose 23 home runs rank second. The 27-year-old is batting .273 with 68 RBIs and an .843 OPS.

"He's swinging the bat well," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "He's made significant progress as far as making himself a big league hitter. He was a high Draft choice in the past, and he's continued to improve in the last couple years, so we think he's a guy that can come up and give us a little bit of help offensively."

It's a season that has been a while in coming for Frazier, a third-round Draft pick by the Tigers in 2004 out of Rutgers whom Detroit re-acquired three years ago from the Mariners for Yorman Bazardo.

Frazier called up, penciled in as DH

By Quinn Roberts and Jason Beck / MLB.com

07/30/10 6:37 PM ET

BOSTON -- Adding another new name to the lineup Friday, Tigers manager Jim Leyland penciled in Jeff Frazier at designated hitter after he was called up from Triple-A Toledo before the series opener against the Red Sox.

With the Mud Hens, Frazier is hitting .273 with 68 runs scored, 32 doubles, 23 home runs and 68 RBIs.

Frazier is also leading all International League players in total bases (214) and extra-base hits (56).

While Leyland contemplated starting Frazier in the outfield, he thought it would be best to start a more experienced outfielder at Fenway Park.

"I played Johnny [Damon] because he knows the wall [in left field], he has been here and has had experience with that," Leyland said. "I just thought it would be better."

Frazier's Monday throw creating buzz

By Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo / MLB.com

08/10/10 7:08 PM ET

DETROIT -- It would be tough to draw up the play any better. With runners on the corners and no outs in the first inning, Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford hit a fly ball to left field. Tigers rookie outfielder Jeff Frazier stayed behind the ball and charged in on it, resulting in all of his momentum going towards home plate.

He delivered a perfect one-hopper home that beat out John Jaso trying to score on the fly ball that off the bat seemed more than deep enough to score the run. Catcher Gerald Laird deked Jaso by acting as if the ball was cut off, yet was able to field the throw and execute the tag just in the nick of time.

"Out of the hand it came out perfect," Frazier said. "When I saw the angle, I thought we had a shot. It just so happened to be perfect, with the bounce and everything. The crowd went nuts. All I kept saying to myself was that's a good start to this game because we have the momentum on our side now. They had runners on first and third with no outs in the first then to have a big double play like that happen. I was just happy with the fact that the fans got into it and gave us momentum to start the game off."

Frazier was making his third start in left field since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on July 30. When he returned to his clubhouse after the game, he said he had received several text messages and voicemails from friends and family congratulating him on the throw. Sure, it was early in the game, but his throw kept the Rays off the board and got starter Armando Galarraga out of a jam.

"Especially now with the way things are going, any way we can steal a run or steal a run from the other team, it's huge," Frazier said. "We've been playing in so many close ballgames. With that play, I was just happy to erase a run from their run column and keep it 0-0 that early in the game."

Frazier's outfield assist upped the Tigers' total to 29 on the season, good for tops in the American League.

"Sometimes everything on a ball like that coming from the outfield works out perfect," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Other times it takes a funny hop at the end that gets your footwork messed up or something. The stars were aligned right on that one. [Frazier] made a heckuva play."

Tigers recall Schlereth, option Frazier
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on August 15, 2010 at 6:48 PM

The Tigers' injury-shortened, workload-extended bullpen will be getting some help for the team's four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Detroit recalled left-hander Daniel Schlereth from Triple-A Toledo and optioned outfielder Jeff Frazier back to the Mud Hens.

Schlereth is expected to rejoin the Tigers Monday in New York, the team may or may not have closer Jose Valverde available depending on his mild abdominal strain. They also will have to watch Phil Coke after he closed out the Tigers' last two wins against the White Sox.

Schlereth, part of the return package from Arizona in last December's Edwin Jackson trade, pitched in four games for the Tigers during his two-week stint in Detroit last month. The 24-year-old and former first-round draft pick gave up an earned run and two inherited runners on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings with two walks and a strikeout.

The Tigers called up Frazier when they were in need of offensive punch at the end of July, but had used him sparingly at best in recent days. He went 5-for-22 with a double, an RBI and five strikeouts in eight appearances.

Tigers trade Dlugach, outright Bonine, three others
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on November 4, 2010 at 2:19 PM

Brent Dlugach began the year as a potential Tigers infield prospect in the upper ranks of their farm system, and went into the season as somebody to watch after an impressive Spring Training. Now, he's part of the Red Sox ranks, having been traded Thursday as part of the Tigers' moves take four Minor League free agents off their 40-man roster.

Also removed from the roster were right-handers Eddie Bonine and Jay Sborz, catcher Max St. Pierre and outfielder Jeff Frazier. All of them were outrighted to Triple-A Toledo, making them eligible to become six-year minor league free agents. Bonine elected to become a free agent immediately, while the others will become free agents on Nov. 6.

Of the group, Bonine had by far the most time in the big leagues this year, having spent the entire season in Detroit's bullpen. The 29-year-old knuckleballer went 4-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 47 appearances, all but one of them in relief.

Bonine went into the All-Star break with a 4-0 record and a 2.81 ERA before struggling down the stretch, allowing 22 earned runs on 47 hits over 26 1/3 innings. Opponents batted .395 against him after the break. He was inconsistent with his knuckleball, especially late in the season, and hitters began to simply sit on his fastball.

Dlugach was briefly seen as a potential shortstop option, but a slow start at Triple-A Toledo and a high strikeout total left him looking up at the big leagues. He batted .258 for the year with the Mud Hens with six home runs, 41 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 149 strikeouts over 117 games.

The Red Sox will send over a player to be named later or cash as part of the trade.

St. Pierre finally made it to the big leagues after 14 years in the Minor Leagues, all but one of them in the Tigers organization. He'll most likely have a spot back in the system if he wants it, but it remains to be seen what he wants to do.

Minor League Transactions: Nov. 16-21

Posted Nov. 24, 2010 4:36 pm by Matt Eddy
Filed under: Transactions

This time: Nov. 16-21
For more immediate updates on key minor league free agent signings, follow me on Twitter: @eddymk
If you're a Rule 5 draft buff, you can find a complete record of every player added to 40-man rosters this offseason.

Washington NationalsSigned: SS Chris McConnell, OF Jeff Frazier

Left fielder/first baseman Jeff Frazier, older brother of Reds prospect Todd, led the Triple-A International League with 61 extra-base hits this season with Toledo. In a career year, he also made the IL all-star team and then made his big league debut for the Tigers at the end of July.