The Cubs have agreed to a contract with righty reliever Hunter Harvey, pending a physical, a source told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian on Saturday. The club has not confirmed the deal.
Harvey, 31, spent much of the 2025 season on the injured list after also dealing with injuries in '24. Between a right teres major strain in April and a right adductor strain in August, he appeared in just 12 games for the Royals last season. But when he pitched, he was quite effective, posting a 0.00 ERA over 10 2/3 innings while allowing six hits and striking out 11.
Harvey brings a four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball that averages about 96 mph and served as his primary putaway pitch last season. He also has a split-finger fastball, curveball and slider.
For his career, the seven-year veteran is 10-11 with a 3.11 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 185 innings during stints with the Orioles, Nationals and Royals.
Harvey is the latest move the Cubs have made to at least partially answer what had been major questions about their bullpen after a few key departures. The team signed righty Phil Maton to a two-year deal with third-year club option in November and re-signed lefty Caleb Thielbar to a one-year deal earlier this month.
Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Kittredge -- three of the Cubs' primary arms at the end of last season’s 92-win campaign -- are no longer in the picture. Kittredge was traded to the Orioles earlier this winter, while Keller signed with the Phillies and Pomeranz reached a deal with the Angels.