Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Matt Harvey



The New York Mets essentially dumped Matt Harvey onto the Cincinnati Reds after designating him for assignment earlier in the year. The Mets wanted rid of the headache, and presumably the contract if at all possible, while the Reds acquired him with the hopes of building his trade value back up for a meaningful trade before the July 31st trade deadline. The Mets took on Devin Mesoraco who makes more than twice as much as Harvey, although the Reds did send cash back to offset the difference, while the Reds have been successful in establishing some value for Harvey, a value that will see the former All-Star and Mets product in the Bronx by the end of the month in my opinion.

Go ahead and laugh, make your jokes about Harvey in New York and how he won’t be the missing piece to the Yankees World Series puzzle. I’ll call your sarcastic chuckle and raise you a few stats that may open your eyes to the possibility just a bit. Since joining the Reds the former Mets right-hander has pitched to a 4-3 record with a 3.86 ERA including a 3-0 record with a 1.47 ERA in his last three starts. The command is back, the filthy pitching is back, and so is the velocity after peaking at 97.2 MPH in his last start. Harvey is fresh off a start in which he shutdown and shutout the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers for 5.2 innings, only leaving the game because of a 54-minute rain delay.

Harvey is a free agent at the end of the season and, fiscally anyway, he would fit into the Yankees plans for the 2018 season. If he could pitch like he did back in his hay day with the Mets, then he fits into the Yankees plans for the 2018 season in so many other ways. Harvey would be and likely would be much better than Sonny Gray at this point and would give the Yankees another veteran arm to help their march towards the postseason.


What would the Reds want in exchange for Harvey? What any young and rebuilding teams wants, pitching. Enter Jonathan Loaisiga who has been being showcased for the Yankees over the past couple of weeks including this week inside Yankee Stadium against the Atlanta Braves. Would the Reds be willing to do a one-for-one swap? I can only presume, but my presumption would be that they would be willing to make the swap. Loaisiga is a young and controllable starting pitcher that is MLB ready, obviously, which would check a lot of boxes for the Reds. This may anger some Yankees fans, myself included, but we must remember that this is a business and that Brian Cashman is not as attached to these young guys as we are. He will make the move if the Reds allow him to pull the trigger for Loaisiga, you can bet on it.


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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)