3 KC Royals players who survived the non-tender deadline but could still get traded before Opening Day

Hunter Harvey

In a move to bolster their pitching down the stretch, the Royals acquired Harvey from the Washington Nationals at the 2024 trade deadline, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to have much of an impact. Harvey only managed six appearances for Kansas City before being sidelined with mid-back tightness, and he didn't return for the rest of the season.

In the very brief time he pitched for the Royals, Harvey posted a 6.35 ERA and 2.12 WHIP, allowing 8 hits and 4 earned runs in 5.2 innings. Prior to the trade, he accumulated a 2-4 record, 4.20 ERA, and 1.22 WHIP in 45 innings of work for the Nationals, and while his ERA was the worst of his career, he managed a career-high 26 holds. Harvey put up stronger overall numbers in his first two seasons in Washington, posting a 2.52 ERA in 2022 and a 2.52 ERA in 2023, but it's still very easy to argue that he wasn't worth what Kansas City gave up to acquire him.

When the Nationals traded Harvey to the Royals, they received third base prospect Cayden Wallace and a Competitive Balance A pick (No. 39 overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft in return. Wallace was the No. 2 prospect in the Royals organization, and at the time of the trade, he'd accumulated a career .265/.342/.420 line with 18 home runs in three minor league seasons. The 23-year-old had spent the majority of the 2024 season with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and although he was still a while away from making his debut in the majors, Wallace's strong defense and power bat made his potential extremely clear.

Instead of continuing to develop Wallace, the Royals are now left with Harvey, and while he's unlikely to be a major liability, he's also unlikely to be the game-changing reliever that general manager J.J. Picollo wants him to be.

Going into 2025, the Royals still have roster holes they need to fill. While Harvey's hold rate was strong this season, his other stats showed regression, which isn't something Kansas City can afford to risk moving forward. Especially considering they arguably gave up far too much to secure Harvey in the first place, trading him now would be a smart move — his value is relatively high, and he still has one more season of arbitration eligibility before he becomes a free agent at the end of 2025.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Harvey will earn a $3.9 million salary next season, which is a lot higher than Spotrac's estimate at $2.98 million (the same amount he made in 2024). Either way, the Royals would be far better trading him for an experienced reliever than paying to keep Harvey in the bullpen.