The messy relationship between Matt Harvey and the New York Mets could be close to being over. Or it could get only worse as we near the 2018 season.
Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported on Monday morning that the Mets have called “at least two teams,” inquiring about a possible trade involving Harvey.
“They are willing to move him,” one source said, “and they said they wanted to try and flip him for a reliever. They seemed more willing to move him then (Robert) Gsellman or (Seth) Lugo.”
Harvey is under team control for just one more season before becoming an unrestricted free agent and it isn’t likely that he would re-sign with the team given their history.
Injuries, feuds with agent Scott Boras and off-field issues have stunted his growth in an MLB career that held so much promise when he electrified the league as a rookie in 2013.
Another injury-shortened season last year was by far his worst in the majors as he posted a 5-7 record with a 6.70 ERA. Though he was faced with the difficult situation of basically re-teaching himself how to pitch at a high level after his long list of injury problems.
Because of that, the market isn’t necessarily going to be bustling for Harvey.
But Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported that the Baltimore Orioles “are seen” as a team that could possibly go after Harvey.
Baltimore is a team desperate for an upgrade in their starting rotation. Of their qualified starters, Dylan Bundy had the lowest ERA at 4.24. Ubaldo Jiminez and Chris Tillman sported marks of 6.81 and 7.84.
It would be a gamble to take on Harvey given his injury history, especially if they have to part with an important piece to fill the Mets’ need of either a second baseman or reliever. But should Harvey find his stuff circa 2013 in a new city that provides a fresh start, the Orioles could come away with a steal.
Later on Monday, Heyman added that the Mets and Texas Rangers discussed a deal that would swap Harvey for infielder Jurickson Profar, which could attempt to address the team’s issue at second. Though the deal is a longshot to actually get done.
Profar has not been able to find any kind of success at the major-league level despite an ability to succeed in triple-A. In 206 games over four seasons, Profar has a .239 average with 13 home runs and 53 RBI.
It would be a risky move for both teams and could be an all-time worst deal for the Mets should Harvey regain his All-Star form while Profar continues to struggle.
