Royals, Pirates Complete Trade Bringing 10-Year Veteran Back To KC

The trade deadline is still two weeks away, but for the second year in a row, the Kansas City Royals jumped the gun.

Kansas City sits at 47-50 as the All-Star break continues, and debate has raged about whether they will be buyers, sellers, or perhaps a little bit of both. On Wednesday, they made a move that one could categorize as "buying," but that hardly moves the needle on initial appearances.

According to multiple reports, the Royals have acquired veteran utility player Adam Frazier, who spent the 2024 season in Kansas City from the Pittsburgh Pirates. In return, the Royals sent 28-year-old utility man Cam Devanney to Pittsburgh.

FanSided's Robert Murray was the first to report the news of the trade.

The move came one year and three days after the Royals made another questionable pre-deadline trade, acquiring reliever Hunter Harvey from the Washington Nationals for third baseman Cayden Wallace and the 39th pick in the 2024 draft, which became catcher Caleb Lomavita

Frazier, 33, started the year on his second stint with the Pirates, and now he's doubling up on the Royals as well. He's a 10-year veteran with an All-Star appearance to his name back in 2021, but for years now, his impact at the plate has ranged from minimal to nonexistent.

This season, Frazier is slashing .255/.318/.336, totaling three home runs and 21 RBI in 76 games. He's also stolen seven bases and been caught stealing seven times. He's appeared in 53 games at second base, 13 in left field, and five in right field.

Devanney, meanwhile, spent most of this season in Triple-A Omaha, but was called up to the majors on Jul. 8. However, he didn't appear in a game, so he'll presumably make his big-league debut soon as a member of the Pirates.

In 69 games for Omaha this season, Devanney slashed an impressive .272/.366/.565 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI. That's the head-scratching part of this--there's a solid chance Devanney is already a much better hitter than Frazier, even if he hasn't had a single at-bat to prove it.

It looks like the Royals are counting on Frazier's veteran presence and positional versatility to carry the day. But if they want to erase their 4 1/2-game deficit in the Wild Card race, they're going to need additions with significantly more offensive firepower.

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