By MATT PIKE
Trying to add some veteran presence to their bench, the Kansas City Royals traded for a player who did just that for them last season, acquiring Adam Frazier from the Pittsburg Pirates for Cam Devanney ahead of the second half of the season.
While Frazier is certainly not the impactful offense upgrade the Royals will seek as the July 31 Trade Deadline nears, the club has long thought its bench needed a veteran presence to give what the industry likes to call a “professional at-bat”, working the pitch count, working a walk, poking a single the other way, moving runners over or getting them in from third, etc., coming in late in games when needed.
Also notable is that the Royals loved Frazier last year, when he logged just 294 plate appearances and hit .202 for the postseason team but provided invaluable leadership with the hitting group. Several people in and around the organization, including players, had mentioned earlier this year that the clubhouse was missing personalities like Frazier as the team endures its ups and downs during a 162-game season.
Frazier has declined quite a bit from his peak years with the Pirates, but this year he is slashing .255/.318/.336 this year in 262 plate appearances. Plus, he’s hitting .310 with runners on base this season, including batting .289 with runners in scoring position, an area that the Royals have struggled in this year with a .229 team average and a .627 OPS in scoring situations. He can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield.
The Royals had added Devanney to the 40-man roster last week when Mark Canha hit the injured list with a left elbow injury. Devanney hit 18 home runs with a .931 OPS with Triple-A Omaha this year, but he had yet to get in a Major League game. With his primary position being shortstop, he was blocked on the depth chart by Bobby Witt Jr., but Devanney has started to get reps around the field to increase his versatility.
-MLB.com’s Anne Rogers contributed to this story
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