Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier’s Trade Value Climbing

Off to a strong start for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season Adam Frazier’s trade value continues to rise as his Pirate career appears to be on borrowed time

This past offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates were very active on the trade market. One player many people expected the Pirates to trade this past offseason was second baseman Adam Frazier. However, Frazier survived the season as a Pirate and is still the team’s leadoff hitter.

While the Pittsburgh Pirates were unable to find a deal that general Manager Ben Cherington dubbed suitable for Frazier this past offseason his early results this season should do nothing but good things for Frazier’s trade value. So far this season Frazier has been one of the most consistent hitters in the National League which should help the Pirates net a good return for him in a trade.

Following a three hit performance in Saturday afternoon’s loss against the Cubs, Frazier is hitting for a .304/.380/.416 slash line. He has posted a 123 wRC+, which is 23 points above the league average of 100, and while he has yet to hit a home run he has still collected 12 extra base hits.

Frazier has also displayed a great eye at the plate this season. His 9.2% walk rate is a career high while his 9.9% strikeout rate is a career low. So far this season Frazier has been among the five hardest batters to strike out and to get to swing-and-miss in the entire National League.

Adding to Frazier’s value is his ability to play multiple positions. While Frazier has been the primary second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2018, he can also play the corner outfield spots. He owns a lifetime +5 Defensive Runs Saved at second base and +7 in the outfield. This includes being a Gold Glove Award finalist at second base in both 2019 and 2020.

Another factor adding to Frazier’s value is his ability to bat leadoff. He has been the team’s primary leadoff hitter since 2018. In his MLB career, 1191 of his 1496 PAs have come from the leadoff spot. A quality leadoff man is something contending teams will value, especially one who can play multiple positions, which should also contribute to Frazier having a continuously rising trade value.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates rebuilding a Frazier trade is something people have predicted dating back to last offseason. Odds seem to be high that Frazier will be traded at some point this season, especially with the Pirates struggling. Hopefully, Frazier will continue to perform at the plate, which will only raise his trade value.