BREAKING: Royals bolster bullpen with acquisition of another highly rated star

The Kansas City Royals have addressed their bullpen needs by acquiring right-hander from the Washington Nationals. In exchange, the Royals sent third base prospect Cayden Wallace and a competitive balance draft pick (No. 39) to Washington.

Kansas City’s bullpen has struggled, ranking 22nd in ERA and 29th in strikeout rate. Harvey, 29, brings a strong strikeout ability, fanning 26.3% of batters faced this season. He is expected to contribute in late-inning situations, possibly even closing games for the Royals.

With Harvey in the mix, manager Matt Quatraro could organize the bullpen as follows:
– High-leverage: RHP Hunter Harvey, RHP James McArthur
– Setup: RHP John Schreiber, RHP Chris Stratton
– Middle: RHP Nick Anderson, LHP Will Smith, LHP Angel Zerpa
– Long: LHP Sam Long

Harvey has posted a 4.20 ERA over 45 innings this season but had impressive stats with the Nationals in previous years. The Royals retain him through 2025 as an arbitration-eligible player, making him more than a rental.

In return, the Nationals receive Cayden Wallace, a promising 22-year-old third baseman drafted in the second round in 2022. Wallace was ranked as the Royals’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline and is noted for his potential as a power-hitting everyday player.

The competitive balance draft picks are significant for small-market teams like the Nationals, who now possess multiple high picks in the upcoming draft. Despite Saturday’s loss, dropping them to 52-44 on the season, the Royals remain in contention for the AL wild-card spot, just one game behind the Boston Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Nationals are 44-52 and six games out of wild-card contention after their comeback win over the Milwaukee Brewers.