Getty Images Adam Frazier records a hit against the Mariners
The Kansas City Royals have been one of baseball’s busiest teams this offseason. That continued on January 30 when they signed Adam Frazier to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with a 2025 mutual option, the team announced.
In Frazier, the Royals have added a versatile veteran bat.
Frazier, 32, joins Kansas City after a productive season with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2023, he posted a .240 batting average in 141 games. He also set career highs in home runs with 13 and RBI with 60. As the Orioles ended their six-year playoff drought, Frazier was an important piece.
Like the Orioles were last year, the Royals are a young team looking to prove themselves, and that appealed to Frazier, he said.
“I know it didn’t look right in the wins and loss columns last year for the Royals, but they really are a hard-nosed team and a tough team to compete against,” Frazier told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. “You see the young talent that’s on this team and how tough they are to play against, it’s something I was interested in joining — to go with the opportunity to be able to play a lot of second base, some corner outfield. With the offseason signings they’ve already had, I think this team is in a great position to compete. That was something I wanted to be a part of.”
How Adam Frazier Fits Into the Royals Offense
Due to Frazier’s ability to play second base and the outfield, the Royals can be creative with how he fits into the lineup. Over the last two years, the Athens, Georgia, native has seen his average drop, but he has still been a doubles machine with 43 with the Orioles last year and the Seattle Mariners in 2022.
Adam Frazier Masterclass
Since making his MLB debut in 2016, Frazier has shown a talent for putting the ball in play. In that span, only 22 hitters have a lower strikeout rate, according to MLB Trade Rumors. His biggest issue has been barreling up pitches at a consistent rate.
With the addition of Frazier, there will be less pressure on Michael Massey. The 25-year-old appeared in a career-high 129 games last year and posted a .229 batting average. The Royals still want to see what they have in him and can now mix in Frazier when needed.
Royals Continue Their Spending Spree
With spring training less than three weeks away, the Royals roster will look very different than a year ago. Their free agent haul includes Frazier, outfielder Hunter Renfroe, infielder/outfield Garrett Hampson and right-handed pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. That group will be vital in helping the Royals get back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Regardless of how the 2024 campaign plays out, Kansas City has shown they are ready to take the next step. Before the signing of Frazier, they had already spent $ 101 million in free agency, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
While the Royals roster will still undergo changes before Opening Day, they have a veteran bat in Frazier they can rely on. His defense leaves something to be desired, but Frazier has shown he can provide occasional power. That will be valuable as the Royals try to surpass expectations.