In the wake of Carlos Correa and Carlos Rodón’s massive deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees respectively, the Baltimore Orioles announced the signing of free agent 2B Adam Frazier. The announcement was met with a fair bit of surprise in Birdland as this Orioles team is currently stacked with infield depth. The move has also aroused uncertainty over the future of players like Ramon Urias and Jordan Westburg with trade speculation swirling around the two.
Frazier, most recently of the Seattle Mariners, is an upgrade from former O’s 2B Rougned Odor. In 2022, Frazier slashed .238/.301/.311 compared to Odor’s .207/.275/.357. A former all-star, Frazier’s ability to get on base at a significantly higher clip than Odor is likely part of what attracted the Orioles’ attention. Additionally, if you’re a fan of player-value batting; Frazier posted an fWAR of 0.9 in 2022, while Odor recorded just -0.4 fWAR. Although this signing may be disappointing to fans who hoped this offseason would bring marquee signings like Chris Bassitt or Trea Turner, this move opens up the possibility of the Orioles making a big move via trade.
Below is the official press release.
The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder ADAM FRAZIER on a one-year contract for the 2023 season.
Frazier, 31, appeared in a career-high 156 games for the Seattle Mariners in 2022, pacing the team. He slashed .238/.301/.311 (129-for-541) with 22 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 61 runs scored, 42 RBI, 46 walks, and a career-high 11 stolen bases. His four triples led the team and ranked tied for ninth in the American League. According to Statcast_, he ranked in the top five percent of MLB in strikeout rate (12.1%) and whiff rate (14.4%). Defensively, he made appearances at five different positions, playing 124 games at second base, 21 in right field, 16 in left field, four at shortstop, and two in center field. He ranked eighth among MLB second basemen with six outs above average, per _Statcast. Frazier made his Postseason debut in 2022, appearing in five games for Seattle and tallying five hits with one double, three runs scored, one RBI, and one walk.
In 2021, Frazier was named to his first career All-Star team as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates after slashing .330/.397/.463 (115-for-348) with 26 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 53 runs scored, 29 RBI, 33 walks, and five stolen bases in 89 games prior to the All-Star Break. He finished the year with career highs in hits (176), batting average (.305), doubles (36), runs scored (83), walks (48), and on-base percentage (.368) in 155 combined games between the Pirates (98 G) and San Diego Padres (57 G). He ranked among Major League leaders in hits (8th) and average (10th).
A native of Athens, Ga., Frazier was selected by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Mississippi State University. He made his Major League debut with Pittsburgh on June 24, 2016. The left-handed batter is a career .273/.336/.392 (751-for-2,751) hitter with 149 doubles, 25 triples, 43 home runs, 374 runs scored, 257 RBI, 228 walks, 41 stolen bases, and a .728 OPS in 821 combined games with the Mariners (2022), Padres (2021), and Pirates (2016-21). He is a two-time Gold Glove Award finalist at second base (2019-20) and was the Pirates’ recipient of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) Heart and Hustle Award in 2017 and 2021.
The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.
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