Royals miss chance at ideal reunion after Angels steal strong veteran utility option

For weeks now, it’s seemed as though the Kansas City Royals have continually come up short on landing potential free agents targets.

However, one name that seemed to make almost too much sense to bring back in 2026 was veteran utility man Adam Frazier.

After spending the 2024 season with them, the Royals let him walk in free agency, where he returned to where it all started for him with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, it didn’t take long for GM J.J. Picollo and Co. to call the Pirates to reunite with Frazier, trading for him ahead of the trade deadline last season.

Given how strong a clubhouse presence Frazier reportedly was, paired with a solid showing overall in his Royals’ return, a reunion seemed like a good decision.

However, the Los Angeles Angels thwarted that opportunity this week, signing Frazier to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, as first reported by MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

Angels foil potential Royals reunion with veteran Adam Frzaier

As touched upon already, Frazier made a lot of sense as a name for the Royals to bring back this season.

He was a named the clubhouse loved, which was a huge reason as to why they opted to bring him back last season in the first place, according to MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.

And on top of that, although nothing immensely special, he performed at an average looking level, which for a bench utility role is all you can ask for.

In 197 plate appearances across 56 games with the Royals in 2025, Frazier did a lot to eliminate the sour taste he may’ve left in 2024 following a 65 wRC+ season. He hit .283 with a .722 OPS, 23 RBI, just an 18.3% K-rate and a 98 wRC+. Again, nothing great but certainly very serviceable for a bench option.

Then, there’s his ability to play both second base and the corner outfield, which would have been huge for Kansas City this season given those are the two positions with the most uncertainty heading into spring training.

Now, considering that his deal with the Angels is of a minor league nature, there’s no guaranteeing that Frazier cracks to Halos’ Opening Day squad, especially given the myriad of names they already have at second base.

However, his versatility, vast major league experience and the positive note he’s entering spring training on does make him a strong depth candidate for them.

Never say never, as the Royals proved they’ll trade for names they recently let walk, with Frazier himself being the prime example last season. However, the fact the ball is not in their court anymore isn’t ideal.

And after Picollo’s comments to media on Monday regarding how he views the Royals’ current bench, saying they “feel good about their depth”, it seems as though the utility trio of Michael Massey, Tyler Tolbert and Nick Loftin is more likely to be the path forward with spring training only days away.