The Pirates bolstered their bench Friday afternoon, signing infielder Todd Frazier to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, a source tells DK Pittsburgh Sports.

Frazier, who turned 35 earlier this month, will earn $1.5 million if he makes the team.

Frazier is coming off his worst offensive season in the Majors, slashing .236/.302/.382 with four home runs and 12 RBIs over 172 plate appearances with the Rangers and Mets. He hit a little better with the Rangers (a .702 OPS) before being traded midseason, but even then his 91 OPS+ with them would have been the worst of his career.

In addition to his actual results, Frazier's peripherals have slipped in recent years, with his average exit velocity dropping from 89.6 mph in 2018, which was in the top-third of the league, to 87.8 mph last year, which was in the bottom-third. 

With Ke'Bryan Hayes at third and Colin Moran at first, Frazier seems to be positioned to be a bench player, assuming he makes the team. He does have a career .815 OPS against left-handers if the Pirates would like to platoon him with the left-handed swinging Moran. The Pirates also have Phillip Evans on the roster, who looked to be the backup in the corner infield spots, though he can also play second and the outfield. 

A 10-year veteran and two-time All-Star, Frazier spent most of his career with the Reds, where he tortured Pirates pitchers for years. He's hit more of his 218 career home runs against the Pirates (19) than any other team, and he has a .932 career OPS at PNC Park.

The Pirates now have 71 players in Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. for spring training. The league's limit this year is 75. The first team workout is Feb. 22.

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