KC Royals explored trading Hunter Harvey for outfield help from New York Mets

The Kansas City Royals’ need to upgrade their outfield is one of the few things nearly all fans can agree on. While the 2024 outfield group had its occasional bright spots, it was ultimately more of a hindrance than a help, especially as the team pushed for the postseason. With free-agent options still on the table but the market feeling increasingly uncertain, the Royals have also explored trade opportunities — one of which involved the New York Mets.

The KC Royals and New York Mets were nearly trade partners.

According to Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo, the Royals and Mets discussed a potential trade that would have sent veteran outfielder Starling Marte to Kansas City in exchange for right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey. These talks reportedly occurred around the time of December's Winter Meetings in Dallas, but ultimately didn’t progress far.

Marte is in the final year of a four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets. The right fielder rebounded from a poor 2023 season with an palatable 104 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR across 94 games in 2024. The 13-year veteran is far from a defensive savant, and his skills in right field have slowly declined across the past three years. His bat, while acceptable last year, is hardly what a contending team like the Mets wants as their designated hitter, but with first baseman Pete Alonso nearly certainly not coming back, Marte's bat may have to do for now.

The Mets were reportedly open to paying down a portion of Marte's salary to acquire bullpen help but seem to have moved on following their two-year, $22 million deal with lefty reliever A.J. Minter. That addition may signal the end of their pursuit for relief upgrades as spring training nears.

At first glance, Royals fans might balk at the idea of acquiring Marte, especially with his declining defensive metrics and the fact he’d be a one-year rental. However, the other piece of the trade — Hunter Harvey — is no sure thing either. Kansas City acquired Harvey from the Washington Nationals with the hope that he’d bring his high-leverage experience to their bullpen. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his 2024 season, limiting him to just 5 2/3 innings with a 6.35 ERA in a Royals uniform. Those struggles led some to wonder whether the team would non-tender Harvey this offseason. Instead, the Royals retained him, banking on a rebound year in 2025.

In the end, the Royals avoided making the Marte trade, and perhaps that’s for the best. While Marte might have brought a short-term boost to the outfield, his fit with Kansas City’s needs was far from perfect. Harvey, despite his challenges, still has the potential to be a key bullpen piece if he can regain his health and form. For now, the Royals must continue their search for more impactful and sustainable solutions to their outfield woes.