The Royals made their deal with Adam Frazier official today, which meant a move had to be made to clear a 40-man roster spot. To do so, the Royals traded INF/OF Samad Taylor to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later and cash considerations.
Samad Taylor came to the Royals along with Max Castillo in 2022 in the trade that sent Whit Merrifield to the Toronto Blue Jays. After today’s trade, both Taylor and Castillo are no longer with the Royals.
Unfortunately, Taylor was the odd man out with the acquisition of Frazier. There wasn’t much room for playing time, as he would’ve been behind Adam Frazier, Michael Massey, Garrett Hampson, and Nick Loftin in trying to find playing time.
After acquiring him, there were high hopes for Taylor to be a productive major leaguer for the Royals. Enough that they sent him to the Arizona Fall League in 2022 and eventually added him to the 40-man roster. He struggled to put up decent numbers in the Fall League. But besides that rough fall, Taylor was coming into his own in 2023 as he slashed .302/.418/.466 with eight home runs, 55 RBI, and 43 stolen bases.
Taylor has always had some prospect hype, finding himself in the top 30 prospects for both the Blue Jays and the Royals at one time. The decent hit tool, combined with his speed and the potential to grow into some power, always had many hoping he could find his way. Unfortunately, with the Royals, it always seemed like there wasn’t a spot for him to find consistent playing time. Especially with the young core of infielders they have had coming up through the system. At the very least, Royals fans and Samad will never forget his first major league hit.
Adam Frazier joins a crowded Royals infield with the likes of Bobby Witt, Jr., Maikel Garcia, Michael Massey, and Garrett Hampson, but he provides the Royals with a veteran successful major leaguer. He is a good depth piece that can play multiple positions. He should be a good safety net for the Royals in case any younger guys struggle.
Rumors were floating around from Ken Rosenthal that the Royals were also trying to secure a closer, but they were unsure who might be on the move to make the happen. Many thought Frazier coming in meant that Massey or MJ Melendez could be on the move, but now that Samad is gone, it is a bit unclear if any other big moves might be in the works or what the Royals would send for a closer. We are only a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, but it seems very likely that the Royals roster is a bit more complete now.
