MLB News: Matt Harvey Traded to Reds by Mets

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Matt Harvey gets traded to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Devin Mesoraco

The fall from grace for a professional athlete can be career ending, or career changing. For Harvey, only time will tell for a pitcher that was once one of the best in the game. He was part of a Mets rotation that took the team to a World Series, and it looked like there might be more of that. Instead, the 2013 All-Star found himself injured and losing his dominant form. In 2016, he suffered from thoracic outlet syndrome which required a season-ending surgery. Things were never the same again for him.

Over the past three years, he went 9-19 with an ERA of 5.93 and a WHIP of 1.578. This season was not going any better, and the Mets decided they would send him to the minors. Figuring that Harvey knew his career with the Mets was coming to a close, he rejected the offer and was then designated for assignment. A fastball that was once feared, could not get any faster than 92 MPH. Yet, with all of his issues, he still drew attention on the market from the likes of the Giants, Padres, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners and White Sox. In the end, he wound up with the bottom-feeding Reds.

The newest Cincinnati Red…

Welcome to #RedsCountry, @MattHarvey33! pic.twitter.com/AbCgEQAFAP

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 9, 2018

The Reds will have to be hopeful that he can find himself again, finding his fastball, command and a breaking ball. They hope that maybe, just maybe, he can get this all done by the trading deadline and so that they can move him in as a contender; and they’d be willing to take a chance that he will remain that way. All of this is possible, but more than likely, not probable. It will take a miracle for Harvey to ever be what he once was.

What we can’t quite seem to understand from the Reds is why they would make this move before Harvey was a free agent. If they had waited, they wouldn’t have had to give anything up for him. But it was probably the price tag on Mesoraco ($13.125 million) that hey wanted to shed. Mesoraco is a story in himself, as he too is now just a shell of his former playing capabilities. In 2014, he had a good year with a stat line of .273/.359/.534, with 25 homers and a 147 OPS. But just like Harvey, injuries set in and limited him to just 113 games over the next three and a half years.

After losing Travis D’Arnaud for the season and backup Kevin Plawecki with a broken hand, Plaweccki is scheduled to return, but they need a body to help behind the plate as Jose Lobaton and rookie Tomas Nido just ain’t getting it done. So, the trade doesn’t really make sense from both sides, and now the two teams are left to see how each of their new acquisitions pan out.