Mets' Frazier, Nats' Eaton exchange heated words

NEW YORK -- So much for burying the hatchet.

New York Mets third baseman Todd Frazier and Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton had a heated exchange between innings that was caught by a television camera Monday night at Citi Field.

The two players jawed at each other from a distance, prompting several Nationals players to take a few steps out of the dugout before Frazier and Eaton were guided in opposite directions. Eaton took his position in right field, and Frazier was led back to the Mets' bench on the first-base side.

"He's chirping all the way across the infield. I don't know. He must really like me because he wants to get my attention it seems like every time we come here to town. He really cares what I think about him, I guess. I don't know what the deal is," Eaton said following New York's 5-3 victory over the Nationals. "He's always yelling across the infield at me. He's made a habit of it. He's one of those guys that always says it loud enough so you can hear it, but you can't understand it.

"You've got to be a man at some point. So I turned around, had a few choice words with him. It's funny. I was walking toward him and he didn't really want to walk toward me, but as soon as someone held him back, then he was like, all of a sudden was really impatient, like trying to come toward me. Like I said, just being Todd Frazier. So what's new?''

The two were teammates with the Chicago White Sox in 2016 but apparently have an acrimonious history.

The war of words continued into Tuesday, as Frazier said he "heard what [Eaton] said" and that Eaton showed his "immaturity."

"Men usually settle on the field; they don't need to talk about it," Frazier said. "But he started it, coming at me with 'I'm a man; I've got a mortgage to pay and two kids.' Pay off your mortgage, I don't know what to tell you."

Eaton, who acknowledged Monday he was surprised the beef with Frazier is still going on, said Tuesday that he doesn't have a mortgage.

"Yes, absolutely. It's very childish,'' Eaton said. "I tried to stay patient with the childishness.''

After the game, Frazier downplayed the whole thing, but he still was discussing it Tuesday.

"It didn't really bother me that much, but at the end of the day, you ask guys when I played with the White Sox in 2016, all 23 of those guys, they know what happened," Frazier said. "...He understands where I'm coming from. He knows the past history. I've said my peace and I'm done with it now."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.