In desperate need of help at second base as they try to fight their way back into the American League wild-card race, the Kansas City Royals are acquiring veteran infielder Adam Frazier.
Per Robert Murray of FanSided, the Pittsburgh Pirates are trading Frazier to the Royals in exchange for minor-league infielder Cam Devanney.
Second base has been a black hole for the Royals in 2025. Michael Massey, who has been their primary starter at the position, is hitting .202/.221/.258 in 209 plate appearances.
Among players with at least 200 plate appearances, Massey’s .211 weighted on-base average is 27 points worse than any other hitter in MLB (Michael Harris II: .238).
Per FanGraphs, Royals second basemen have combined for minus-0.8 wins above replacement. The only team that has received less value at the keystone is the Colorado Rockies (minus-1.5).
Frazier, while not having a stellar year, will be a significant upgrade in Kansas City. He is hitting .255/.318/.336 in 262 plate appearances and has been roughly league average defensively.
This also marks a reunion for Frazier and the Royals. He played with the team in 2024, playing six different positions and DH in 104 games to help them make the playoffs as a wild card.
The Royals (47-50) will come out of the All-Star break 4.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final playoff spot in the AL. They have a soft schedule to open the second half, with nine of their first 12 games against teams under .500.
Frazier is only under contract for this season, so the Pirates save a little bit of money and open up more playing time for Nick Gonzales. They have the third-worst record in the NL (39-58) and should be evaluating anyone who can help them potentially be a contender in 2026.
Devanney is a 28-year-old career minor-leaguer who is hitting .272/.366/.565 in Triple-A this season. He might be able to get a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh at some point if they want to see if he can do anything at the big-league level.
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