Hair today, gone tomorrow: Frazier trims locks

TAMPA, Fla. -- Clint Frazier may no longer feel like discussing his flowing locks, but that didn't stop the prospect's hair from garnering attention during Sunday's first Yankees full-squad workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Frazier said that he trimmed several inches off the day before the Super Bowl, but the 22-year-old took the field with a healthy amount of red peeking out from under his ballcap. The look was up to code, manager Joe Girardi said.
"It's not every day that we see hair that color. He's got curly hair; there's really nothing he can do about that," Girardi said. "This is the person that God made him. It's above his shoulders. I don't have any issues with it. There's a lot of people in that clubhouse that wish they had his hair."

This is the first Major League Spring Training for Frazier, who was acquired from the Indians last summer as a centerpiece of the Andrew Miller trade and is ranked as the Yankees' No. 1 prospect by MLBPipeline.com.
"Awesome. Being around a lot of the guys out here was a really cool experience for me," Frazier said. "I got to spend some time with Brett Gardner in stretch and just get on a personal level with him, getting to know him a little bit and him getting to know me. That was a pretty cool experience for me."

The Yankees' long-standing policy, instituted by late principal owner George M. Steinbrenner, specifies that players may not display facial hair other than mustaches and that scalp hair may not be grown below the collar.
"It's a rule that the family has carried on from their father," Girardi said. "I know some players like facial hair and would prefer it, but in the long run and reality, does it change the player if he has a beard or not? … I think they understand where it comes from. I haven't really had anyone come into my office and say, 'We need to change this.'"
Bombers bits
• Jacoby Ellsbury was the lone Yankees position player absent from Sunday's workout, having been granted extra time to report as he and his wife, Kelsey, are expecting their second child. Girardi said that he expects Ellsbury to arrive Monday and be in uniform for Tuesday's workout.
• Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman had a front-row view of Greg Bird's batting practice round, and Girardi said that he is pleased by the life in Bird's bat after he missed most of 2016 following right shoulder surgery.
"I feel pretty good about where he's at. He looks really good," Girardi said. "The fact that he was able to play last year [in the Arizona Fall League] encourages me. I didn't really see him throw today so that's something I will look at, but he looked fine to me."
• Probable Opening Day starter Masahiro Tanaka looked sharp in his first batting practice session, facing Kyle Higashioka and Tyler Wade while throwing to catcher Gary Sánchez on the main field.
"I think he's ahead of where he was last year at this time," Girardi said. "I was really pleased with the way he looked. He's in a pretty good place right now."