Former Padres All-Star Signs With NL Central Club

Sep 25, 2021; San Diego, California, USA;  San Diego Padres second baseman Adam Frazier (12) celebrates his one-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-Imagn Images
Sep 25, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Adam Frazier (12) celebrates his one-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-Imagn Images / Ray Acevedo-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly reuniting with a former fan favorite of theirs on a one-year deal.

Adam Frazier, a former San Diego Padres second baseman, is returning to the team where he spent the first seasons of his career on a contract worth $1.525 million.

Since leaving Pittsburgh, Frazier's performance has been inconsistent. After struggling during his time with the Padres and Seattle Mariners in 2021 and 2022, he rebounded slightly with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023, posting a .696 OPS and 1.7 WAR (per Baseball Reference) across 141 games.

Last season, he joined the Kansas City Royals and shifted into more of a supporting role, hitting .202/.282/.294 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 294 plate appearances.

A nine-year MLB veteran, Frazier spent the first six seasons of his career with the Pirates from 2016 to 2021. Initially a league-average hitter during his first five seasons, Frazier had a breakout year in 2021, earning a starting spot as the National League All-Star team’s second baseman.

More news: Padres Sign All-Star Catcher in First Major League Signing of Offseason: Report

With the Pirates deep into a rebuild at the time, they dealt Frazier to the Padres at the trade deadline in exchange for a player package that included Jack Suwinski. Now, Frazier is back in Pittsburgh.

This agreement provides the Pirates with a flexible player who can cover both a corner outfield position and second base. With Bryan De La Cruz no longer in the mix after the team chose not to bring him back, Pittsburgh may have an immediate need to fill in right field.

However, Frazier is expected to serve as a utility infielder for the Pirates. Although he has logged nearly 1,500 innings in the major leagues as an outfielder, he is not anticipated to be the team's answer in the corner outfield — a position Pittsburgh has been working to address this offseason.

Throughout his career, Frazier has primarily played second base but has also seen limited action at other infield positions. He has logged 61 innings at third base, 26 at shortstop, and even made a brief appearance at first base for the Royals last season.

More news: Padres Offseason Slammed by Insider, Given Very Harsh Grade


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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.