The Mets Asked Matt Harvey to Go to the Minors, He Said No, and Now They’re Bouncing Him

Given the way things have played out, no one can be surprised that the ending of the Matt Harvey era in New York is (1) ugly and (2) swift.

After struggling out of the gate and being pushed into the bullpen – very clearly, openly, and vocally against his will – Matt Harvey didn’t adjust well to his new role, with a 10.50 ERA over 6.0 relief innings. After some more ugliness about his affection and preparation for that role, the Mets decided it was time to pull the plug:

BREAKING: Sandy Alderson said the Mets asked Matt Harvey today to go to the minors.

Harvey refused.

The Mets are designating Matt Harvey for assignment tomorrow.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 4, 2018

Sandy Alderson appears somewhat emotional discussing the end of Matt Harvey's Mets career. He called it "the end of an era."

"He was appreciated for what he brought to the New York Mets."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 4, 2018

Harvey, before Tommy John surgery and then a herculean effort coming back from that surgery, and then thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, was an incredible pitcher. Watching him was appointment TV.

Then the injuries came, the headlines came, the bitterness came, and the deep struggles came. He might be toast at 29.

If he’s not, though, some team out there will find one of the most intriguing reclamation projects around. When DFA’d, the Mets will have seven days to trade, waive, or release Harvey. Since he’s making $5.6 million this year, I tend to doubt any team is going to trade for him or claim him on waivers, and in fact, he might not even find a big league roster spot available. Instead, I tend to think he’ll latch on to a new organization with a thin rotation, pitching on a minor league deal with a June 1 opt-out, hoping he can crack that rotation in the next few weeks.

Could an organization like the Brewers take a chance? They’re always looking for cost-effective pitching talent, so they’d make as much sense to me as any club out there. I’m sure a good 10 to 15 clubs will come calling about a minor league deal eventually. The Cubs maybe could, but I really don’t think he’d have any interest, given that cracking the Cubs’ rotation right now, for him, would be an impossibility. I’m also not certain the Cubs would want the extra … attention for such a low-upside play.

In any case, Harvey will be a free agent after this season, so he’ll want to show some value soon.