CHICAGO (AP) – All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier was dealt from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday as part of a three-team, seven-player trade that also included the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles received second baseman Micah Johnson, right-hander Frankie Montas and outfielder Trayce Thompson from the White Sox, and Cincinnati got infielders Brandon Dixon and Jose Peraza and outfielder Scott Schebler from the Dodgers.
The 29-year-old Frazier, who won last summer’s All-Star Home Run Derby in Cincinnati, was an NL All-Star in each of the last two seasons and hit .255 this year with 43 doubles, 35 homers and 89 RBIs.
Frazier has a $7.5 million salary next year and can become a free agent after the 2017 season.
The move gives the White Sox a run producer and solid defensive third baseman who had grown into a clubhouse leader in Cincinnati. Frazier had in many ways become the face of Cincinnati’s franchise – even more popular than Joey Votto – after he won the home run derby so dramatically in July.
It turned out to be the best moment in Cincinnati’s disappointing season that ended in a 64-98 record and prompted the Reds to star a full-scale rebuilding. They dealt starting pitchers Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake in July, leaving them with an all-rookie rotation. They had a deal in place to ship closer Aroldis Chapman to the Dodgers this month before an offseason domestic dispute became public, putting the deal on hold.
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AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.