Nationals trade Hunter Harvey to Royals for Cayden Wallace, draft pick

The Nationals claimed Harvey, 29, off waivers in March 2022 hoping the 2013 first-round pick with a long history of injuries could contribute in the bullpen. Harvey stayed healthy for the most part and blossomed into one of the Nationals’ top relievers. Over 2½ seasons, he had a 3.17 ERA and 162 strikeouts over 145 innings in 138 games. He typically was the setup man for Kyle Finnegan but also posted 10 saves.

Harvey got off to a quick start this season but struggled over the past month. He has a 4.20 ERA in 43 appearances. Regardless, this trade is an organization win for the Nationals, who made a low-risk waiver claim and turned Harvey into a trade chip.

And they probably aren’t done. Barring injury, it seems likely outfielder Jesse Winker and reliever Dylan Floro could be traded by the July 30 deadline. Outfielder Lane Thomas is another option, but that’s far from a certainty. Finnegan could be in the mix, too, but like Thomas he has one more year of team control.

Wallace, a third baseman, was the Royals’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He suffered an oblique injury in late May and missed more than a month but returned to action June 27 during a rehab assignment with Kansas City’s rookie-ball team. He suffered a setback July 6 when he was hit by a pitch that fractured a rib and has not played since. Wallace, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Arkansas, was hitting .282 with a .777 OPS, three homers and 16 RBI in 34 games with Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

The trade gives the Nationals three picks on the first night of the draft: Nos. 10, 39 and 44. The 39th pick comes with a slot value of $2.395 million, which boosts the Nationals’ bonus pool to $13,895,100. Competitive balance picks — this year, there are six after the first round and eight after the second — are the only picks that can be traded.

The Nationals are recalling right-hander Amos Willingham to take Harvey’s roster spot, according to a person familiar with their plans. Willingham, 25, had a 4.54 ERA in 32 games at Class AAA Rochester; he appeared in 18 games for the Nationals last year.