It appears the Nationals will indeed try to be sellers ahead of this year’s MLB Trade Deadline, and the sell-off has begun.
On Saturday, the Nationals announced they have dealt RHP Hunter Harvey to the Kansas City Royals for minor-league third baseman Cayden Wallace and the No. 39 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft, which was the Royals’ selection in the Competitive Balance A round.
Wallace, 22, was the No. 2 prospect in the Royals’ system after being a second-round pick in 2022, and he has a career .265/.342/.429 slash line in three minor-league seasons. He has missed a lot of this season due to an oblique strain and a rib fracture suffered while rehabbing, but he slashed .282/.350/.427 in 34 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and now slots in as MLB.com's No. 6 prospect in the Nationals' system.
Harvey, 29, had a 4.20 ERA in 45 innings over 43 appearances for the Nationals this season, with 50 strikeouts and 12 walks and an MLB-leading 26 holds entering Saturday. He is also under team control in 2025 as a third-year arbitration-eligible player, so the Royals will owe him the balance of his $2.35 million salary this year plus whatever he earns in arbitration in 2025.
The Royals now have the Nos. 6 and 41 selections Sunday night, and will select second in each round from 3-20 on Monday and Tuesday. Losing the 39th pick subtracts $2.395 million from the Royals' bonus pool, which now stands at $13,023,300 total.