The New York Mets have the rest of the week to figure out what to do with Matt Harvey after they designated him for assignment over the weekend. Harvey will not be in the organization by Sunday because if he clears waivers he will definitely refuse a minor league assignment in order to become a free agent. The ideal scenario for the Mets would be to find a trade partner for Harvey, allowing them to recoup some value for a sunk cost. That possibility is increasing, as SNY’s Andy Martino reports that several more teams are showing interest in a deal for Harvey.
Harvey has already been linked to the Texas Rangers, who employ former Mets’ pitching coach Dan Warthen, and the Seattle Mariners. Martino has added the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds to the list, with the Giants reportedly having “strong interest” according to league sources. The Giants are dealing with a bunch of pitching injuries, including the loss of Johnny Cueto for six weeks, so taking a flyer on Harvey could make sense for them. The Baltimore Orioles could also be interested in Harvey after inquiring about a deal for him in the winter, but it remains to be seen if they call the Mets now.
The Mets are going to be stuck eating Harvey’s contract if he gets waived anyway, so they might as well see if they can get a warm body in return for him. The dream scenario would be to find a backup catcher, allowing them to send Tomas Nido back to the minor leagues, but that is extremely unlikely. The best the Mets can likely do is a low level prospect, which is better than simply losing Harvey for nothing. The good news for the Mets is that a number of teams still believe that Harvey can be fixed with a change of scenery, giving them the opportunity to get something for their one time ace.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
