When news broke that the Kansas City Royals had traded infielder Cam Devanney to the Pittsburgh Pirates for veteran utilityman Adam Frazier, the Royals Review writer Slack channel fell into chaos.
At first glance, this trade makes no sense. Frazier is a known quantity, and that quantity is “not very good.” Over his last three years, Frazier has accrued -0.1 Wins Above Replacement. One of those years—last year, to be specific—was here in Kansas City where he had the worst offensive season of his career. He’s bounced back this year, but with a .654 OPS in 78 games he is not exactly lighting the world on fire.