Should Baltimore Orioles Acquire Matt Harvey?

By Kyle AndrewsBaltimore Orioles

There has been talks about the trade availability of New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey and the Baltimore Orioles could be a fit.

Harvey has had an up and down MLB career through five seasons. Through his first three seasons, he was among the National League’s best pitchers, with a record of 25-18 and ERA of 2.53. He was named to the All-Star team in 2013 and was easily worthy of All-Star appearances from 2012-2015.

However in 2016, Harvey dealt with a bout of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which prematurely ended his season. It bothered his delivery and caused his velocity to drop. He had a record of 4-10 and ERA of 4.86. His ERA plummeted even further in 2017 (6.70) and he continued to slump.

There is thought out there that Harvey would be better suited in a smaller market, where the pressure is lower than in New York. Baltimore could look to acquire Harvey, due to only having two starters penciled in next season.

According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets seek a reliever in return for Harvey:

“They are willing to move him,” one source said, and they wanted to try and flip him for a reliever. They seemed more willing to move him then (Robert) Gsellman or (Seth) Lugo.“

Baltimore has a great deal of relief pitching, which includes: Brad Brach, Zach Britton, Mychal Givens, Richard Bleier, Darren O’Day and Miguel Castro, just to name a few. The biggest question is, would they be willing to give up one of their top relievers to acquire a struggling pitcher?

The answer would probably be no, though if they could unload a contract. O’Day is the most likely candidate, being set to make $19 million over the course of the next two seasons. In six years with Baltimore, O’Day has a 2.34 ERA and a 28-12 record in 354.1 innings pitched.

The issue is that O’Day is currently 35 years old. Despite that, O’Day has been one of the better relievers for the Orioles for quite some time. It could possibly entice the Mets to acquire him for Harvey.

UPDATE:

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also tweeted that the Orioles are interested in Harvey’s services:

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Kyle Andrews
Born in Norfolk, VA, raised in the Baltimore area and currently living there. Originally pursuing a degree in exercise science at McDaniel, Andrews became interested in sports writing. He was the sports editor of McDaniel's newspaper in 2014 and became an English major, and hasn't looked back since.

Bylines at Fox Sports 1340 AM, Bullets Forever, Baltimore Beatdown, Underdog Dynasty and many other sites.