By Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Third baseman Todd Frazier will be a free agent after the season, but he "loves" playing for the Yankees and is open to moving off third base — if needed.

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Rich Schultz | Getty

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NEW YORK — Third baseman Todd Frazier, a Toms River native, would "love" to re-sign with the Yankees in the offseason and he's open to changing positions to make that happen, he said.

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"I would love to have this challenge and I would love to play for this city for the rest of my life," he said before clubbing a crucial three-run homer in Monday's 5-1 win over the Rays at Citi Field. "I think it would be awesome."

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Frazier has been the Yankees' primary third baseman since they acquired him, alongside relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, before the trade deadline for a package of players headlined by outfield prospect Blake Rutherford, a 2016 first-round pick.

Frazier said he’s open to playing first base, left field and right field.

“I could still play other positions,” he said. “I know I can. I did it for the first three years with the Reds. I did rather well out there. I’m not afraid to change positions.”

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Tony Gutierrez | AP

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The Frazier deal happened after top prospect Gleyber Torres, a 20-year-old shortstop learning third base at Triple-A, hurt his left elbow sliding and needed Tommy John surgery, ending his chance at taking over the position. The move also pushed Chase Headley to first base, though he occasionally re-enters the third-base rotation and has seen time at DH.

Torres, ranked the third best prospect in the game by Baseball America, is expected to be healthy come spring training. And next year, Headley will enter the final season of his four-year, $52-million deal.

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Both players could block a return to New York for Frazier, who has hit 24 homers with a .210 average this season, and eight bombs with a .216 average in 49 games with the Yankees.

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It's conceivable that Torres could be ready for the majors early next season and the Yankees like what Headley brings in the clubhouse, his versatility and that he's hit .320 with eight homers in 53 games in the second half.

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Frazier, however, is hoping there’s still room for him.

“It’s a pleasure coming in here everyday,” he said. “It’s not that I’m coming in (saying), ‘Ah, I’ve got to come to the ballpark, do my job again.’ No. We’re all fighting for something. We’ve all got the same goals in mind. That’s to win the division, get into the playoffs and win a World Series. It’s a fun group.”

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File photo

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He was asked if it’s difficult to not think his impending free agency. Frazier and the White Sox avoided arbitration with a one-year, $12-million deal last season.

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“Sure,” he said. “It’s your future. It’s scoreboard watching, kind of. You don’t want to, but it’s there. Right now, it’s not that hard because the goal at hand is to win and to win as much as we can and to work on playoff stuff.

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"But you’re right. It’s there. It’s your livelihood. I’m not worried about it, but why wouldn’t you be thinking about it? It’s something I strive to do. Every hit gets me closer. But at the same time, every hit gets us closer to winning, too. If you play a team game, everything takes care of itself.”

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How Yankees will use Clint Frazier

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Brad Penner | USA Today Sports

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Frazier said the Bronx has been “the best place I’ve been so far.” Cincinnati made Frazier a 2007 first-round pick before it traded him to the White Sox before the 2016 season.

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“I think we take things one a time,” Frazier said. “We’ve been waiting for free agency for a long time, though. Me and my wife have talked about it numerous times. But it’s not in our hands. It’s really not. In free agency, you need just two teams fighting for you and hopefully there’s a lot more. So hopefully they give me an offer here. It’s something I would like to have.

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"But we’ll see. I understand the business a lot more now since going through it with the Reds and the White Sox and now with the Yankees. Have a good understanding of where in the ballpark I should be, with my agency, they work tireless hours and I’m very happy to have them and it’s going to be a different offseason. We’ll see how it goes.”

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He acknowledged that whether he returns to the Bronx might not be totally up to him.

“It depends on what direction they’re going,” he said. “If they’re going young, I probably won’t be here, if you want the truth. If they’re trying to keep a couple veteran guys a little more on the team, then I’ll have a shot. But like I said, I can’t express how much I would love to play here.”

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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.