Go ahead Mets’ fan. Get angry. I said it. This winter, New York Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson has to do whatever he has to do to rid his franchise of starting pitcher Matt Harvey. The last time I looked, professional baseball players were employed to win championships. The last time I looked, agents represented players so THEY could get paid. Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras, should have absolutely nothing to say about how the Mets use their ace.
It would be one thing if the Mets were currently sitting where they were predicted to finish: middle-of-the-pack, NL East, struggling to get to 75 wins or so. That’s not the case in reality. Once a team reaches the postseason, anything can happen. A team needs ALL of their horses to win that World Series crown–one that has eluded the boys in Queens for almost 30 years now. As a matter of fact, it’s been damn near a decade since the Mets have even sniffed the postseason. Those were the days of Willie Randolph steering the ship.
This year, the Mets have far exceeded expectations, and are sitting in prime position to win not only the NL East, but with the young arms they have: Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, along with veterans Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon, could make a deep October run, and nothing’s better than World Series baseball in the Big Apple.
So back to my original point. Why should the Mets rid themselves of “Mr. New York?” It’s simple. All of this recent controversy surrounding Harvey’s use, his quote, unquote 180-innings pitched cap, and Boras sticking his nose in team business, will do nothing but destroy this team from the inside out. Remember a couple of years ago when the Washington Nationals shut down Stephen Strasburg because he had reached his innings limit? THAT was a team decision. The belief at the time, was that with the Nats being young, and up and coming, there would be many more opportunities to be the best team in the NL East. Answer me this: how’s that working out in 2015 for the Nats?
Tommy John surgery takes approximately 12-18 months for full recovery. Harvey is sitting at 18 months right now. With the Mets in the thick of a pennant race, and the aforementioned Nats starting to surge, the Mets need every weapon in their arsenal. Skipping Harvey in the rotation could cost them a division title, and if he gets rusty, will he be at his very best come October? If Harvey sits, and the Mets end up choking, getting overtaken by the Nats, and the Metropolitans end up at Fort Living room in October, how does Harvey EVER face his teammates again?
The Mets have young arms aside from Harvey, and they should seriously consider moving him for an impact bat. Odds are good they will lose outfielder Yoenis Cespedes this winter to free agency, so the time is right to not only rid themselves of a “me” guy, but to get something of high-value in return. Did someone say Carlos Gonzalez?
