Royals make eye-catching trade with Nationals after shutout loss to Red Sox
The Kansas City Royals could have used another bat after being shutout 5-0 by the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, but they upgraded their bullpen instead.
The Royals agreed to a trade with the Washington Nationals, acquiring relief pitcher Hunter Harvey, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
“Trade news: The Kansas City Royals are acquiring right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey from the Washington Nationals, sources tell ESPN.”
In exchange, the Royal send out third baseman Cayden Wallace and 39th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, which starts Sunday.
Harvey, 29, has posted a 3.20 ERA over 168 2/3 innings for the Nationals and Orioles after Baltimore selected him No. 22 overall in the 2013 MLB Draft. He has a 4.20 ERA with 50 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP in 45 innings for Washington this season.
Harvey is having a down year in relation to his past but is still averaging more than a strikeout per inning. He also comes with another year of team control.
The Nationals are 44-52 on the season — 18.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East and six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot.
The Royals, on the other hand, have been one of baseball’s biggest surprises this year. Kansas City is 52-44 and only a game behind the Boston Red Sox for the American League’s last wild-card spot.
