The Royals have bolstered their bullpen by acquiring a right-hander Hunter Harveyas the Nation announced that Harvey would be going to KC in exchange for a third baseman Cayden Wallace and the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round A pick (39th overall) in the 2024 draft. The Royals also announced the move, as well as the right-hander’s news Nick Anderson has been selected for the creation of Harvey’s list.
Today’s 5-0 loss to the Red Sox dropped the Royals to a 52-44 record, and a game behind Boston for the third and final AL wild card slot. Playing .542 baseball is already an impressive step forward for a team that lost 106 games in 2023, yet Kansas City has its eyes on getting out of its recent struggles. The Royals started the season with a great 39-26 run, but have since fallen to 13-18 in their last 31 games, and relief efforts have been the main reason for this slide. there.
The KC bullpen ranks third-lowest in baseball in several major categories, including 22nd in bullpen ERA (4.30). James McArthur converted 17 of 21 chances but was relatively consistent, and the Royals’ relief team lacked speed and hitting ability. Recent reports have shown that Kansas City considered the bullpen to be the main need leading up to the trade deadline, even before the Royals’ strong need to improve the outside.
Harvey and his 97.8mph fastball provide immediate zip in the Royals bullpen, and Harvey also has the highest strikeout and walk rates over his 45 innings this season. out of Washington’s bullpen. While he has a 4.20 ERA, Harvey’s SIERA is 2.99, as a .325 BABIP has contributed to making Harvey’s results an insufficient indicator of his value.
Selected 22nd overall by the Orioles in the 2013 draft, Harvey attracted over 100 hits before various injuries threatened to stop his career before it could get off the ground. He had a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and 26 appearances for Baltimore in the 2019-21 season, but the Giants claimed him in November 2021, and Harvey then moved to Washington on a claim one to retire early. 2022 campaign.
This time with the Nationals allowed Harvey to prove himself as a solid MLB-caliber arm, though he flew under the radar during the team’s rebuild. Harvey has a 3.17 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, and 6.4% walk rate in 145 innings for DC, working primarily as a reliever but with 10 saves on his ledger in 2023. Hard contact is a huge red flag in Harvey’s arsenal, but he has done a surprisingly good job of preventing this hard contact from translating into his style. . A move to Kauffman’s bigger stadium could help the 29-year-old Harvey in that regard.
Harvey is making $2.35MM this season in his second final year of arbitration eligibility, so the Royals also control him through the end of the 2025 campaign. This additional year of control make Harvey a very interesting player to watch when he reaches the finals on July 30, and Harvey and the Nats are close. Kyle Finnegan (also restricted until 2025) cracked the 15th most recent MLBTR list of the top 50 franchise players. Since teams generally have to pay more to complete deals before the deadline, that factor along with an extra year of Harvey’s control and perhaps the Royals’ desire to fix their collective bullpen woes give Washington very good result.
The Nationals stayed within striking distance of the NL wild-card race, but today’s trade leaves no doubt that the Nats will remain on track as the underdogs heading into the season. last. That’s not to say Washington might not be looking for players to help them be competitive starting in 2025, and Wallace could fit the bill, as he’s currently in his second season of Double-A ball.
A second-round pick for the Royals in the 2022 draft, Wallace hit .282/.350/.427 over 140 plate appearances for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, but was slowed by two issues with continuous operation. IL stint for broken ribs. These injuries slowed his development, but MLB Pipeline still ranks Wallace as the second-best prospect in the Kansas City farm system, and Baseball America ranked him fifth in their first season of the Royals’ minor leaguers. Two scouting reports rate him as a good defensive player with the ability to stay at third base because of a strong throwing arm, and Wallace has good plate technique and solid motion. He has more power than the obvious power forwards at the time, so Pipeline and BA view Wallace as somewhat of a gap attacker going forward.
Trading a “third baseman of the future” candidate like Wallace serves as a testament to the Royals’ faith in the. Michael Garcia at least in the short term, though Kansas City may be looking for help at the hot corner down the road — possibly as soon as tomorrow’s draft. As noted by Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com, the Nationals have given themselves a third depth of the future, with Wallace stepping in. Brady House (ranked by Pipeline as the 44th best prospect in all of baseball) and Yohandy Morales at the minor league level. This could be the case for the Nationals in the coming years, if they can get back into contention and start moving their internal prospects for more veterans.
Competitive Balance Round picks are the only types of picks that can be traded, so they are some of the most valuable chips in baseball. Any team can trade CBR options, but since small market and low-income teams are the only teams eligible for these bonus options initially, options trading is relatively rare. , when considering whether to add talent by design is the case. special value for people who spend a little money on the game. However, today’s trade marks CBR’s third pick of the 2024 draft to change hands — the Brewers received the 34th overall pick from the Orioles as part of Corbin Burns trade, while the White Sox received the 68th overall pick (in CBR Round B) as part of the deal. Gregory Santos to Sailors.
The Royals pick sixth overall in tomorrow’s draft, and now they won’t pick until their second round pick (41st overall). The nation now has three picks in the first 44 picks, and their newly acquired CBR pick is between their first and second round spots.
Anderson came to the Royals in a trade with the Braves last November, as Kansas City was interested in seeing if the former Rays bullpen ace could regain his form after three disappointing seasons. . Over 34 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, Anderson had a 4.15 ERA and not much in the way of secondary metrics, as he posted a 10.1% walk rate and a hit of 18.1%.
Anderson is making $1.575MM this season, and is restricted by the arb until 2025, which could add to the appeal for any team interested in adding bullpen depth via a waiver claim. Anderson is now past the five-year limit for MLB service time by virtue of being on the Royals’ active roster for the rest of the season, and will therefore retain his entire salary through 2024 if he clear the gaps and become a free agent.
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