Former ace Matt Harvey is having a rough year, and the team that took advantage was the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cincinnati Reds are a rebuilding club who should leap at the opportunity of low-risk, high-reward talent. In that vein, Matt Harvey has been dealt to the Reds for backstop Devin Mesoraco, who gives New York some pop behind the plate.
Furthermore, the Reds don’t have a ton of veteran arms on the roster, giving them someone who can take the ball with experience every five days. With that said, the club has a ton of youth, and acquiring a high-upside guy makes ample sense.
The Reds are dead last in the league in pitching with a 5.32 ERA. While Harvey has been terrible this season in his own right with a 7.00 ERA over 21 innings, this represents a chance to get things turned around for the 29-year-old. He hasn’t conducted himself well, but maybe a change of scenery in a smaller market will do him some good.
This looks like a win-win because the Reds got a veteran righty who is cheap, while the Mets got someone at the position they desperately needed. Hopefully Harvey will improve now that he is gone from the bright lights of New York City.
This may be one of the best fits for the righty because he will be able to work on everything and not have to rush, considering the Reds aren’t in the playoff race. He needs to rebound for the rest of the year and show that he can pitch effectively again. If he does that, plenty of teams will come calling in the future.
Overall, Harvey should be rejoicing considering he can just think about pitching and not have to deal with any pressure whatsoever. This is by far the lowest point in his career, so he can only go up at this point. Only time will tell if he can rebound with the Reds.