September 6, 2015, Queens, NY Will he or won’t he? That’s the question surrounding Matt Harvey. According to ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney, the New York Mets might be contemplating the unthinkable: Trading Matt Harvey.
Olney said, “I think it would be appropriate and right for the Mets to consider in the winter their own business decision and that would be to trade Matt Harvey.”
Olney is not your typical journalist looking to make headlines, so this news should have Mets fans nauseous and the other 29 MLB teams licking their chops. Harvey is coming off of Tommy John surgery and was advised by renown surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, to limit his innings to 180. Harvey is scheduled to pitch on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, and he’s already pitched 166 1/3 innings. That give Harvey two, no more than three starts which means he wouldn’t be pitching in the playoffs provided the Mets get there.
Harvey is a client of “Agent Notorious” Scott Boras, and after the 2018 season, he (Harvey) is set to become a free agent. “The Mets are uniquely positioned to trade someone like Harvey because they have so many other great young pitchers,” said Olney.
Tough decision for the Mets. Do they trade their cornerstone pitcher, their Tom Seaver? Do they keep Harvey and risk diminished performance and/or further injury? Should they keep him another year with the hope that his trade value appreciates? Does the Dark Knight Return?
Professor Clifford Benton can be reached via twitter @CliffordBenton.