In a significant move within Major League Baseball, Adam Frazier is on his way back to the Kansas City Royals. The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to send the seasoned second baseman and outfielder to the Royals in exchange for infielder Cam Devanney, as confirmed by both teams this Wednesday.
Frazier, a familiar face in Kansas City, previously made a mark with the Royals during the 2024 season, contributing to a postseason run that saw them clinch a wild-card spot and advance to the American League Division Series. After Kansas City opted out of his mutual option last October, Frazier found himself in Pittsburgh on a one-year contract. Now, he’s rejoining a Royals squad striving to find its footing in the playoff race.
The Royals might have secured seven victories in their last ten outings just before the All-Star break, but they still find themselves 12 games adrift from the division-leading Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. The road to the final wild-card spot is equally challenging, with Kansas City trailing the Seattle Mariners by 4 1/2 games and needing to leapfrog four other teams to get there.
This trade reunites Frazier with the ballpark where he first made a name for himself. He was an integral part of the Pirates’ roster for 5 1/2 seasons and even earned All-Star honors in 2021. This season, his numbers tell the tale of a player battling through tough circumstances; Frazier posted a .255/.318/.336 slash line and managed three home runs and 21 RBIs, culminating in a .654 OPS over 78 games with a struggling Pirates lineup.
For Pittsburgh, the deal represents a strategic opportunity to inject some versatility into their roster with Cam Devanney. At 28, Devanney is in the pre-arbitration phase of his career and is known for his defensive versatility, having spent most of his time at shortstop with Triple-A Omaha. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 and was recently called up by the Royals, though he has yet to make his major league debut. His performance in Omaha has been impressive, boasting a robust .272/.366/.565 slash line complemented by 18 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a solid .931 OPS in 69 games.
This trade clearly reflects both teams’ strategic interests: the Royals’ pursuit of an experienced hand to bolster their chase for a postseason spot and the Pirates’ quest for future potential in a competitive NL Central landscape. It’s a deal that brings Adam Frazier back to familiar grounds, with hopes of recapturing some postseason magic along the way.
