'It feels like home': Adam Frazier brings playoff experience in return to roots with Pirates

BRADENTON, Fla. – When Adam Frazier returned to the practice fields at Pirate City, he was greeted with handshakes and hugs by Pittsburgh Pirates teammates old and new.

Frazier, 33, signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract late last month to return to the team that drafted and developed him and where he spent the first six years of his major-league career. It reunites Frazier with former teammates like Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes.

“It feels like home,” he said. “A lot of familiar faces in this clubhouse, maybe not on the team, but guys I’ve played with elsewhere are here now and clubhouse guys and the coaches and everybody. That makes it easier to hop back into a place.”

What Frazier found is the Pirates have done more than just rearrange the furniture. An All-Star second baseman on a team headed for a 101-loss season when traded to the San Diego Padres in July 2021, he now sees playoff potential in these Pirates with a pitching staff anchored by All-Stars Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller.

“How did it come together? Not sure. Looking for some veteran leadership, I guess, and feel pretty comfortable here so I felt comfortable coming back and excited with this group,” Frazier said. “You can see the playoff-caliber pitching and good group of young guys along with some older veterans like Reynolds and Cutch and guys I’ve played with before. Excited to get to work with them and see if we can make a run at this thing.”

Adam Frazier on being back where his career began, reuniting with several old teammates on the Pirates to “see if we can make a run at this thing.” pic.twitter.com/RNXe0tnfzo

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

Adam Frazier on taking live BP vs. Paul Skenes: “I didn’t have to. I kind of wanted to. … Get in there and see what it’s like. It’s facing one of the premier arms in the game. That’s what you want, not just in practice but in games. He’s going to bring out the best of everyone.” pic.twitter.com/9kbpxAEPhm

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

Frazier participated in an optional workout Saturday and took live batting practice against Skenes, the 22-year-old All-Star right-hander who won the National League rookie of the year honors and finished third in Cy Young voting last season.

“I didn’t have to. I kind of wanted to,” Frazier said. “It’s his first day too, so get in there. Get in there and see what it’s like. It’s facing one of the premier arms in the game, that’s what you want, not just in practice but in games. He’s going to bring the best out of everyone. If you can figure out how to hit that, then I feel like it makes the rest of it a little bit easier. So it was fun.”

The Pirates value the versatility and postseason experience Frazier brings. He was enjoying a career year — batting .324/.388/.448 with 28 doubles and 32 RBIs in 98 games — when the Pirates dealt him to the Padres for Tucupita Marcano and Jack Suwinski.

That Frazier has made the playoffs the past three seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2022), Baltimore Orioles (2023) and Kansas City Royals (2024) is what piqued the Pirates’ interest. He’s played in games at every infield and outfield position in the big leagues — though the majority have come at second and the corner outfield spots — and the Pirates plan to use him in a utility role.

Back with the Bucs: Adam Frazier takes his old spot at second base in Saturday morning workout at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/MYlfxkuLRo

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

“Coming into camp, he is going to fight for spots,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It was one of the situations where it really lined up. ‘Fraz’ knows us, he knows what we’re about, he knows what our culture’s about. His ability to lead with a group of guys that he knows is really impactful.”

Frazier is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, batting .202/.282/.292 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs in 104 games with the Royals while battling a right thumb sprain.

“I think it affected his numbers,” Shelton said. “The fact that he’s healthy, and I think we’re in a situation where guys that are producing are going to play because we’re playing to win. The mantra of this camp is winning, and if he’s the best guy to put on the field that day — which I think he will be some days — he’s going to be on the field.”

Frazier said he feels like he learned a lot in his journey since leaving the Pirates. The Mariners won 90 games in back-to-back seasons. The Orioles made an 18-win improvement in 2023, winning 101 games and the AL East championship. The Royals made a 30-win jump, earning an AL wild-card berth with 86 wins last season.

“I feel like I can bring a mix of a little bit of everything, the knowledge,” Frazier said. “I know what it takes each and every night to win a baseball game, to play the game the right way, the little things. Really starting to understand that aspect once I left. You always want to play good defense behind good pitching and the importance of that and the little details, the ins and outs of the game, is huge. If we can bring that here, I feel pretty confident we’re going to be able to win a lot of games.

“You get all 26 guys pulling in the same direction, paying attention to those little things every night, you start stacking good days together, you start winning more, it becomes contagious. Looking forward to that. That’s (what) our goal is, one day at a time, doing the little things the right way and I think we’ll be where we want to be at the end of this.”