Royals Acquire Reliever From the Nationals

Photo by MLB Trade Rumors

The Kansas City Royals are acquiring right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey from the Washington Nationals. Per, Jeff Passan of ESPN. In the deal for Harvey, KC is sending third baseman Cayden Wallace and 39th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, which starts Sunday.

Hunter Harvey is obviously the main piece of this trade. They’re looking for a playoff spot. This was a smart move by the Royals front office. Teams haven’t started to make a ton of moves so this is the perfect time to bolster your club for the long haul.

This is the first season in a few years that Hunter Harvey is struggling. He’s shown a ton of upside in years past. In 2022, Harvey appeared in 38 games. He posted a 2.52 ERA. A year later in 2023, it was almost the same. In 57 appearances, Hunter Harvey posted a 2.82 ERA. Those are no small sample sizes.

As mentioned above, this is the worst season that Hunter Harvey is having in a while. There’s still time to turn it around, he could be having a rough first half. In 43 appearances, Harvey has put in 45 IP. He has a 4.20 ERA, 50 SO, and a 1.22 WHIP.

The Royals are currently third place of the AL Central. It hasn’t been decided yet if they will buy or sell. They have a 52-44 record. With the move of acquiring Hunter Harvey, it’s definitely looking like the Royals will buy at the deadline for the first time in a few years.