MLB Rumors: Will Matt Harvey Be a Starting Pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds?
The Matt Harvey era in New York ended with a whimper, as the once promising prospect-turned-dominant starter became an ineffective reliever who is now with a different team.
For those who may have missed it, the New York Mets have officially traded Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds. In exchange for Harvey, the Mets received catcher Devin Mesoraco as well as cash to offset the salaries, according to an MLB.com report from Anthony DiComo.
With this trade, Harvey heads from a team that could be contending for the NL East crown or at least a wild-card spot to one that has a shot at finishing with the worst record in the Majors.
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From the standpoint of winning, Harvey likely would have preferred to be sent to a different team, but he may actually get something good from being traded to the Reds.
Given the way he started the 2018 season, there was no way that the Mets would give Harvey another crack at the rotation. Securing every single win possible is crucial for a team looking to make the postseason, so there's a chance that Harvey's role with the Mets would have been reduced further even if he had stayed with the team.
Now that he's with the Reds though, Harvey's going to be given opportunities.
Harvey probably wants another chance to be a starting pitcher again, and at this point, the possibility that he becomes one again cannot be ruled out.
A quick look at the Reds' depth chart reveals that their starting pitchers haven't exactly set the world on fire this year, which is to be expected from a team that has struggled a lot thus far.
Crucially though, four of the five starting pitchers currently in the Reds' rotation are aged 25 and younger, and in all likelihood, the reason they are starting games is that the franchise wants to see what they can do at the Major League level.
At 29-years-old, Harvey no longer possesses the same upside as those younger pitchers, so the Reds may not be as inclined to allow him to start on every fifth day.
Still, it's hard to imagine the Reds acquiring Harvey just so he can pitch in blowouts, so he figures to be given at least a few chances to start and show what he's still got left in the tank.
The Reds don't really have that much to lose from giving Harvey some starts anyway.
If he pitches poorly, then the Reds will likely lose, but that was a distinct possibility anyway, regardless of who's on the mound.
If he pitches well, though, then the Reds may have acquired an above average starter in exchange for a backup catcher. They may even be able to trade him to another team if he can turn things around fast enough.
Harvey won't be dazzling home crowds in New York anymore, but he will still have a chance to redeem himself and show that he can still be a good starting pitcher in the Majors.
