The Royals have bolstered their bullpen with the acquisition of right-hander Hunter Harvey, because the Nationals introduced that Harvey will head to Ok.C. in alternate for third baseman Cayden Wallace and the Royals’ Aggressive Stability Spherical A choose (thirty ninth general) within the 2024 draft. The Royals additionally introduced the transfer, in addition to the information that right-hander Nick Anderson has been designated for task to create roster area for Harvey.
In the present day’s 5-0 loss to the Crimson Sox dropped the Royals to a 52-44 document, and a sport again of Boston for the third and remaining AL wild card slot. Taking part in .542 baseball is already a formidable step ahead for a workforce that misplaced 106 video games in 2023, but Kansas Metropolis clearly has eyes on bouncing again from some current struggles. The Royals began the season at a blistering 39-26 tempo, however have since stumbled to a 13-18 mark of their final 31 video games, and aid pitching has been a serious cause behind this slide.
The Ok.C. bullpen ranks within the backside third of baseball in most main classes, together with twenty second in bullpen ERA (4.30). James McArthur has transformed 17 of 21 save possibilities however has been considerably shaky, and the Royals’ aid corps is missing in each velocity and strikeout means. Latest studies instructed that Kansas Metropolis was contemplating the bullpen as a prime want heading into the commerce deadline, even forward of the Royals’ also-pressing want for outfield upgrades.
Harvey and his 97.8mph fastball present some speedy high-leverage zip within the Royals’ pen, and Harvey additionally has above-average strikeout and stroll charges over his 45 innings this season out of Washington’s bullpen. Whereas he has a 4.20 ERA, Harvey’s SIERA is 2.99, as a .325 BABIP has contributed to make Harvey’s bottom-line outcomes an inadequate reflection of his high quality pitching.
Chosen twenty second general by the Orioles within the 2013 draft, Harvey drew top-100 prospect consideration earlier than a wide range of accidents threatened to halt his profession earlier than it ever acquired off the bottom. He had a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and 26 appearances for Baltimore in the course of the 2019-21 seasons, however the Giants claimed him off waivers in November 2021, and Harvey then moved to Washington on one other waiver declare simply previous to the beginning of the 2022 marketing campaign.
This time with the Nationals allowed Harvey to determine himself as a stable MLB-caliber arm, even when he has flown beneath the radar in the course of the workforce’s rebuild. Harvey has a 3.17 ERA, 27.8% strikeout charge, and 6.4% stroll charge in 145 innings for D.C., working principally as a setup man however with 10 saves to his ledger in 2023. Exhausting contact is an enormous pink flag in Harvey’s arsenal, however he has finished a passably good job of holding this tough contact from translating into house runs. Transferring to spacious Kauffman Stadium may additional assist the 29-year-old Harvey on this regard.
Harvey is incomes a $2.35MM wage this season in his second-last yr of arbitration eligibility, so the Royals additionally management him by means of the tip of the 2025 marketing campaign. This further yr of management made Harvey a very fascinating participant to observe heading into the July 30 deadline, and each Harvey and Nats nearer Kyle Finnegan (additionally managed by means of 2025) cracked the highest 15 of MLBTR’s current itemizing of the highest 50 commerce candidates. Since groups typically should pay a bit further to finish offers additional upfront of the deadline, that issue plus Harvey’s further yr of management and maybe the Royals’ eagerness to shortly appropriate their bullpen struggles mixed to present Washington a reasonably good return.
The rebuilding Nationals stayed inside hanging distance of the NL wild card race, however right this moment’s commerce leaves little question that the Nats will stay on their anticipated path as sellers heading into the deadline. This doesn’t imply that Washington won’t search out some gamers that might assist them be aggressive as early as 2025, and Wallace may doubtlessly match that class, as he’s at present in his second season of Double-A ball.
A second-round choose for the Royals within the 2022 draft, Wallace is hitting .282/.350/.427 over 140 plate appearances for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, however he has been slowed by each an indirect pressure and an ongoing IL stint for a damaged rib. These accidents have slowed his improvement, however MLB Pipeline nonetheless ranks Wallace because the second-best prospect within the Kansas Metropolis farm system, and Baseball America ranked him fifth of their preseason rating of Royals minor leaguers. Each scouting studies think about him a superb defensive participant with the flexibility to stay at third base on account of a robust throwing arm, and Wallace has a superb strategy on the plate and a stable swing. He has energy potential moreso than apparent energy in the meanwhile, so Pipeline and BA view Wallace as a spot hitter with some upside as he develops.
Buying and selling a “third baseman of the longer term” candidate like Wallace serves as an endorsement of the Royals’ religion in Maikel Garcia in no less than the quick time period, even when Kansas Metropolis would possibly now search for some assist on the sizzling nook down the highway — maybe as quickly as tomorrow’s draft. As famous by MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals have now given themselves lot of third base depth for the longer term, with Wallace becoming a member of Brady Home (ranked by Pipeline because the Forty fourth-best prospect in all of baseball) and Yohandy Morales within the minor league ranks. This could possibly be a possible surplus place for the Nationals within the coming years, in the event that they return to competition and begin shifting their very own inner prospects for extra win-now veterans.
The Aggressive Stability Spherical picks are the one kinds of draft picks that may be traded, and as such are quietly a number of the most valued commerce chips in all of baseball. Any workforce can commerce for CBR picks, however since smaller-market and lower-revenue groups are the one golf equipment eligible for these bonus picks within the first place, trades involving the picks are comparatively uncommon, given how including expertise by means of the draft is of such specific worth for the sport’s lesser spenders. Nonetheless, right this moment’s commerce marks the third CBR choose of the 2024 draft to alter palms — the Brewers acquired the thirty fourth general choose from the Orioles as a part of the Corbin Burnes commerce, whereas the White Sox landed the 68th general choose (in CBR Spherical B) as a part of the deal that despatched Gregory Santos to the Mariners.
The Royals choose sixth general in tomorrow’s draft, and now gained’t choose once more till their second-round alternative (forty first general). The Nationals now have three picks throughout the first 44 picks, with their newly-acquired CBR choice sandwiched between their first- and second-round slots.
Anderson got here to the Royals in a commerce with the Braves final November, as Kansas Metropolis had curiosity in seeing if the previous Rays bullpen ace may regain his type after three injury-marred seasons. Over 34 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, Anderson had a 4.15 ERA and never a lot in the best way of secondary metrics, as he posted a ten.1% stroll charge and 18.1% strikeout charge.
Anderson is incomes $1.575MM this season, and he’s arb-controlled by means of 2025, which may add some attraction for any membership fascinated with including bullpen depth by way of waiver declare. Anderson has now handed the five-year threshold for MLB service time on account of being on the Royals’ energetic roster all season, and would thus retain all of his 2024 wage if he clears waivers and turns into a free agent.
