Royals sign pitcher Hunter Harvey

The Royals announced they have acquired right-handed pitcher Hunter Harvey from the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league third baseman Cayden Wallace and the 39th pick in Sunday’s draft.

Harvey has an ERA of 4.20 but a FIP of 3.17, with 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 43 relief appearances for the Nationals. In 45 innings, he has struck out 50 and only 12 walks. He has struggled recently, with an ERA of 8.04 since early June and 12 runs allowed in his last eight innings. Harvey has fared much better away from Nationals Park, with opponents hitting just .198/.277/.297 against him on the road.

Harvey was originally a first-round pick by the Orioles in the 2013 draft while in high school in North Carolina, but he didn’t make it in Baltimore. The Nationals picked him off waivers before the 2022 season and he has a 3.17 ERA in 138 games in 2 1/2 seasons with them, including a 2.82 ERA and 10 saves in 57 games last year.

His main selling point is his ability to throw strikes. He throws a 98-mph fastball with a 37.8 percent strikeout rate and a curve that opponents hit with just .158. The 29-year-old is making $2.35 million this year and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2025 season.

Third baseman Cayden Wallace hit .282/.350/.427 with three home runs in 34 games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He is ranked the second-best prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline, fifth by Baseball America, and seventh by Fangraphs. He has been out since late May with an abdominal muscle injury, and most recently played in games in the Arizona Complex League.

The Royals also traded their competitive pick in this year’s draft, the 39th pick. Competitive round picks are the only picks in the draft that can be traded. Two years ago, the Royals traded the 35th pick to the Braves for Drew Watters, Andrew Hoffman and C.J. Alexander.

The Royals relief pitchers have a 4.30 ERA with the second-lowest outfield batting average among all relief pitchers. To make room on the roster, the Royals designated Nick Anderson for assignment. Anderson has a 4.04 ERA in 37 games, but a low outfield batting average.