The 2017 season for the New York Mets hasn’t been a great one early on. It now just slid from bad to worse thanks to Matt Harvey.
On Sunday morning, just hours before he scheduled to pitch, Harvey was suspended for three games for violating team rules. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the suspension was due to Harvey no-showing to the ballpark on Saturday.
With the Mets trying to salvage the early part of their season, they needed Harvey in the rotation. Instead, Harvey misses his start against the Miami Marlins, but that’s not the bigger issue.
Many are beginning to question whether Harvey has the maturity to handle being in New York or not. The violating of team rules isn’t the first incident involving Harvey. During the 2015 World Series, Harvey skipped a team workout. But Harvey continued to pitch for the Mets during their loss in the series to the Kansas City Royals.
Harvey was also in attendance for Derek Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium in 2014. Harvey was out for the season with an injury, but he was at the opposition’s park instead of with his own team. That incident had people questioning where Harvey’s motives lied; being with the Mets or his own self.
Then there was the public drama involving the Mets and Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras. The two sides got into it over how much Harvey was being used during the team’s run in the second half. Eventually, it faded since the Mets were on a run to the World Series. But now, it’s one of the many things that gets remembered over time.
The relationship between Harvey and the Mets has not been a great one over the last five years. If anything, many could consider it to being a strained one. With the latest incidents involving the Mets and Harvey, it might be a damaged one beyond repair.
So what do the Mets do going forward? There really might be only one logical solution. Trade him.
Whether a trade happens during the summer or after the season, a deal seems inevitable given how things have played out. Matt Harvey seems to be more concerned with his own brand than the team. The Mets seem more invested in Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom as their future over Harvey. Harvey doesn’t seem like he’s the future like he once was when he came up five years ago.
Despite the drama and injuries, Matt Harvey has a lot of value given his track record as a power pitcher. If the Mets decided to sell off at the deadline, Matt Harvey could be an attractive option to a contender in need of pitching.
But Harvey’s 5.14 ERA isn’t exactly a must-need right now for teams. Throw in a suspension and Harvey’s trade value isn’t exactly sky-high. But in the off-season, a deal could definitely happen if a team feels like they want Harvey.
A while back, rumors of the Boston Red Sox and Mets talking about a deal were whirling around, but never happened. Looking back now, if Boston had actually offered Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, the Mets should have taken it. But the Mets figured Matt Harvey into their plans.
Now? Given what has happened, not so much. Given what has happened, the Mets might be more than willing to trade him off.
Honestly, a trade of Matt Harvey elsewhere is probably best for both sides. Maybe a contender gives the Mets a decent offer for an All-Star power pitcher. Maybe the Mets get a bat in the lineup they need.
Either way, this trade seems destined to happen. The question is when.