Like all teams, the Kansas City Royals saw multiple players become free agents at the end of the 2024 season, and it was extremely clear that some of those players would be missed more than others. While pitchers Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen were obvious candidates to be re-signed, utility man Adam Frazier fell squarely on the other end of the spectrum, with the Royals declining his mutual option to make him a free agent.
Now, Frazier is headed back to the team with which he made his MLB debut — and earned an All-Star selection — to redeem himself. On January 28, MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf reported that Frazier signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates,
Adam Frazier hopes for comeback season after disappointing 2024 campaign with KC Royals
With high hopes of the 34-year-old being their everyday second baseman for 2024, the Royals signed Frazier to a one-year, $2 million contract last winter. As soon as the season ended, Kansas City paid a $2.5 million buyout to decline their end of his $8.5 million mutual option and make him a free agent, so that should indicate just how well it worked out for them.
Despite the Royals’ plans for Frazier to cover second base, his disappointing performance on both offense and defense saw him quickly transitioned to a utility role, and he was often left off the lineup all together. He finished the season with a career-worst .202/.282/.294 slashline, 4 home runs, and 22 RBI in 294 plate appearances, along with -1 Outs Above Average (OAA) across four positions (2B, 3B, LF, RF).
While it certainly wasn’t a surprise when the Royals declined Frazier’s mutual option for 2025, it’s also not surprising that the Pirates would be excited to welcome him back, even after his 2024 stats.
The Pirates selected Frazier in the sixth round of the 2013 MLB Draft, and he made his big league debut with the team on June 24, 2016. Over the next three seasons (2017-19), Frazier established himself as a reliable presence on both offense and defense, never posting a batting average under .275, and finishing 2019 with the second-best fielding percentage among NL second basemen (.989) and a Gold Glove nomination.
After a disappointing showing during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Frazier bounced back in 2021, slashing .324/.388/.448 in 428 plate appearances for the Pirates and earning his first All-Star selection — but with free agency looming at the end of the season, his time in Pittsburgh came to an abrupt end in July.
On July 25, 2021, the Pirates traded Frazier and $1.4 million in cash to the San Diego Padres in exchange for infielder Tucupita Marcano, pitcher Michell Miliano, and outfielder Jack Suwinski. At the time of the trade, Frazier was leading the league with 125 hits, and he became a free agent at the end of the season.
Frazier’s offensive stats declined significantly in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, and despite hitting a career-high 13 home runs in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, his .240 batting average was a long way from impressive. Now coming off a career-worst season with the Royals, the 33-year-old is heading back to the team where it all started.
While the Pirates’ exact plan for Frazier isn’t yet clear, his versatility will be an asset. With youngster Nick Gonzales at second base, shortstop-turned-outfielder Oneil Cruz at center field, and no right fielder, the Pirates have been looking for cost-effective depth solutions. In addition to second base, Frazier has played third, shortstop, and all three outfield positions, and especially if he can get back even some of his earlier form, he’ll provide a lot of flexibility as Gonzales and Cruz continue developing.
So, will the Pirates be able to find 2019-era Frazier? Only time will tell.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
