Todd Frazier

Chicago White Sox's Todd Frazier commits an error after bobbling a grounder hit by Kansas City Royals' Whit Merrifield during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 24, 2017, in Chicago. Chicago won 12-1.

(Paul Beaty/AP Photo)

The Mets are struggling, especially at third base. Could a New Jersey native be the answer to what ails a banged-up roster?

Yes, Todd Frazier to the Mets rumors are back.

In this week's Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe made a case for the current Chicago White Sox infielder as a solution to one of the myriad of issues surrounding the Mets.

OK, he's off to a poor start and the Mets have plenty of free-swinging offensive players. But third base is an issue. Jose Reyes isn't cutting it. So maybe they solve it internally and move Asdrubal Cabrera there and give top prospect Amed Rosario the shortstop job. Frazier, meanwhile, is being paid $11 million this year and will be a free agent next winter. If the Mets can handle the money with help from the White Sox, wouldn't this make sense? The thought of David Wright returning to the Mets and playing third seems remote.

Heading into play on April 25, Mets third basemen have combined to hit .154/.159/.130, by far the worst slash line for the position across all of Major League Baseball. Jose Reyes (.104/.189/.134, -8 OPS+) has been the biggest culprit.

As Cafardo pointed out, Frazier is off to a tough start (1 HR, .451 OPS) in Chicago, but we're talking about a veteran with a track record.

Frazier, 30, launched 40 home runs for the White Sox in 2016. Despite seeing his home run totals tick up (29, 35, 40) in each of the last three years, Frazier's OPS+ has slipped (121, 117, 109) in each season due to league factors and declining on-base percentages. The right-handed hitting slugger is far from a perfect offensive player, but his power is real.

Frazier comes with the ability to play third base, first base or corner outfield spots.

The right-handed hitter is scheduled to be a free agent after the season.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.