Royals to acquire veteran utility man from Pirates

It’s a reunion for Frazier and the Royals, as the now-33-year-old veteran spent the 2024 season with Kansas City, struggling to a .202/.282/.294 batting line in 294 plate appearances. Frazier has had a much better go in 2025, returning to the club that drafted him (Pittsburgh) and hitting .255/.318/.336. That’s still below-average, but Frazier has been more productive since mid-May. He’s hitting .302/.356/.387 across his past 119 trips to the plate — albeit with a .360 average on balls in play that he’s not likely to sustain over a larger period of time.

Frazier has played second base, left field and right field in his return to Pittsburgh so far. He’s spent the majority of his time on the field at second base, but the Pirates have been using him in the outfield more over the past month or so. He’ll give the Royals a left-handed bat on what had been an all-right-handed bench and also provide manager Matt Quatraro with an option at multiple positions.

Jonathan India and Michael Massey lead the Royals in innings at second base this year, but both have struggled (and Massey is currently on the injured list). The Royals have used a remarkable 10 players in left field already this season, none of whom have managed to be all that productive. Frazier, presumably, will soon become the 11th player to take reps in left field for K.C. this season.

Frazier signed a one-year deal with the Pirates, which contained a modest $1.525MM guarantee. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end and has just under $615K of his salary yet to be paid out between now and season’s end. The Royals will presumably take on all of that sum.

Devanney, 28, was a 15th-round pick by the 2019 Brewers. Milwaukee traded him to Kansas City in exchange for righty Taylor Clarke back in 2023. He’s enjoying a career year in Triple-A but is in his fourth trip through that level at this point. The righty-hitting Devanney is slashing .272/.366/.565 with 18 home runs, 14 doubles, three triples, an 11.8% walk rate and a 24.3% strikeout rate in 288 plate appearances at the top minor league level. He’s gone 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts as well.

The Royals have used Devanney primarily at shortstop in Omaha, but he’s logged plenty of time at third base and second base as well. He’s primarily an infielder but has gotten some nominal exposure to left field, suiting up for six games there (two in 2025). The Pirates are using Isiah Kiner-Falefa as their primary shortstop, but he’s quite likely to be traded in the next two weeks as well. Devanney could see plenty of time at short for the remainder of the season after Kiner-Falefa is moved, but if he has a long-term role with the team it’ll likely be as a right-handed utility option off the bench. Since last week was Devanney’s first selection to the major league roster, he still has a full slate of three minor league options remaining.