"We're used to the Cubs signing oft-injured pitchers to provide depth with a little upside, but seeing them do so with a guaranteed MLB contract is rare. It's even less common to see Jed Hoyer target pitchers with big velocity, and it's unheard of to give such a player relatively big money. Yet that's exactly what happened with 31-year-old reliever Hunter Harvey, who has agreed to a one-year deal that will pay him $6 million."
"Harvey has pitched in parts of seven seasons for three different teams, but has only compiled 185 total innings in that time. Though strains of his teres major (shoulder) and right adductor (inner thigh) limited him to just 10.2 innings over 12 appearances with the Royals in 2025, he struck out 11 batters while walking just one and allowing no runs on six hits."
"What really sets Harvey apart is his 96 mph average fastball that can tick up to triple digits when he's healthy. Maton's hard stuff sits around 90-91 mph, making him look like a flamethrower next to sidearming southpaw Hoby Milner's 87-88 mph bullets. Only four of the 515 MLB pitchers with at least 20 innings last season registered slower average fastballs than Milner, and what's funny is that two of them ( Kyle Hendricks, Trevor Williams) are former Cubs."
The Cubs agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with 31-year-old reliever Hunter Harvey, an unusually large guaranteed salary for a frequently injured depth arm. Harvey has logged only 185 innings across parts of seven seasons for three teams, with recent shoulder and adductor strains limiting him to 10.2 innings in 2025 despite strong strikeout and control in that small sample. The Cubs are encouraged by his prior 111.1 innings over 106 appearances in the two seasons before 2025. Harvey's average fastball velocity is 96 mph and can reach triple digits, providing a contrasting look to other bullpen arms and adding a potentially disruptive pitch mix including a splitter.
Read at Cubsinsider
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