Matt Harvey has been mentioned in quite a few rumors over the past week, but it is now official. The New York Mets have agreed to a trade with the Cincinnati Reds that will send the former star pitcher out of town.
As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported, the Mets acquired catcher Devin Mesoraco in return for Harvey. It was a big trade for both teams, as the Reds have been searching for upgrades to their rotation and the Mets needed some help behind the plate. Only time will tell if this trade will be a win-win scenario.
New York had been done with Harvey for a few weeks. After being moved to the bullpen, Harvey made it pretty clear that he was not happy with his situation. Add in the off-the-field drama that Harvey brought to the Mets and moving on from him was a no-brainer.
Throughout the eight games and four starts that Harvey pitched for the Mets, he ended up recording a 0-2 record to go along with a 7.00 ERA. Those numbers may not make this trade look worth it for the Reds, but you only have to go back about three years to see what kind of talent Harvey possesses.
Mesoraco, on the other hand, has a.220 batting average this season to go along with one home run and three RBI’s. He will add solid depth behind the plate for the Mets, who may still choose to go after another catcher before the trade deadline.
At 29 years of age, Harvey still has time to turn his career around. Just because things didn’t end well in New York doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to get things back on track. Perhaps a change of scenery is all he will need to get his career jumpstarted again.
The #Reds have acquired RHP Matt Harvey from the Mets in exchange for C Devin Mesoraco and cash. Harvey will join the team later this week in Los Angeles. The Reds have also selected the contract of C Tony Cruz from the Triple-A @LouisvilleBats . pic.twitter.com/n4mCjfbWXK
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 8, 2018
Cincinnati is nowhere close to a playoff contender at this point in time. This move is purely a move for the future in hopes that Harvey can get things back on track. Harvey is going to be a free agent following this season, but the Reds could put a lot of effort into re-signing him if he succeeds with them.
Harvey has the potential to be the ace of the Reds’ rotation if he fixes the issues. Cincinnati currently has Homer Bailey sitting atop their depth chart.
All of that being said, this is just one of the big moves that is expected to happen ahead of the trade deadline this year. Teams are already talking trades and there should be a very busy trade season ahead.