Not too long ago, the New York Mets circulated rumors they would answer calls asking about Matt Harvey for a trade. At the behest mainly of Mickey Callaway, they changed their mind. It might be a good time to re-think that decision, executing a trade with the Yankees that includes Chance Adams.
The New York Mets are entering a season in which their starting pitching will determine where they finish in the standings of the NL East. And with that, it means both Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey need to have big comeback years to support Jacob deGrom if the team has any chance of finishing higher than third place behind the Nationals and the improved Phillies.
Of the two, Syndergaard is the most likely to have an easier time rebounding to his old self after an injury-riddled 2017 season. But what of Harvey?
For reasons I can’t imagine, the Mets appear to be insistent on holding onto a pitcher who is in his final season before he reaches free agency at this time next year. It reminds of the last hurrah before the end. And that is disturbing when you consider there is a zero chance of the Mets and Harvey (and more significantly, Scott Boras) reuniting on a new contract.
Also, there are the health issues revolving around Harvey, who, if he expects to collect that $100 million+ contract beginning next season, will need to prove he is capable of pitching a full season in a big league uniform unmarred.
Okay, let’s jump to the chase. The New York Yankees have been engaged with the schizophrenic Pittsburgh Pirates about Gerrit Cole since the trade deadline last summer. Nothing has happened, and the reason appears more and more to be the Pirates have no idea what they are doing. They’ve dangled Andrew McCutchen out there for more than a year now, dissing the face of their team in the process. The Pirates currently have their second-baseman, Josh Harrison, wondering if he should be apartment looking as well.
Matt Harvey equals Gerrit Cole, at least, for the Yankees and maybe more. The Yankees can ease Harvey into their already set five-man rotation, have a season-long look-see, and then make a run at Harvey as a free agent if Harvey proves himself worthy.
The Mets will then need a replacement for Harvey and Chance Adams fits the bill. The Yankees, themselves, have been somewhat schizophrenic with Adams and they don’t seem to have a clue as to what to do with him.
The 23-year-old right-hander has gone 31-7 with a 2.33 ERA, working his way up the ladder from the lowest levels of the Yankee’s farm system. Last season, Adams logged 150 innings and would seem poised to easily hit the 180-200 inning mark this season, something Harvey can only be dreaming about.
Who moves first on this is a big question. The Yankees and Mets don’t deal with each other would seem to be the Eleventh Commandment of baseball in New York City. So, it’ll probably take Brian Cashman to wake up Sandy Alderson from his hibernation to get the ball rolling. This won’t be a one-for-one swap, and the Yankees will need to add some value to the deal with another prospect. The Mets need a third baseman, and the Yankees have a major league ready talent in Miguel Andujar. The idea, though, is just to start the talks on a deal that will benefit both teams.
The Bronx and Queens are separated only by a couple of bridges, but you would never know that given how both the Mets and Yankees continue to repel each other, even when it is counterproductive to keep acting in this childish way.
Move the mountain and move both teams forward.
