The New York Mets are designating Matt Harvey for assignment after he turned down their request for him go to the minor leagues. The end result is that Harvey’s Mets career will be over, with the team now having a chance to trade before he becomes a free agent.
Harvey’s agent Scott Boras spoke with the New York Post on Friday and explained why Harvey won’t go to the minors. He essentially said a start with a new team where Harvey will be able to pitch as a starter will be best.
“Going into a new organization, you can map out an approach,” Boras said, via the Post’s Joel Sherman. “Once you are sent to the minors by the Mets, they have total control of how long you are there. There is no forecast. It is, ‘We will see how you do.’ ”
Boras also noted that Harvey is still recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome and pointed out that command is often the last thing to return to a pitcher.
Mets executive Sandy Alderson seemed to acknowledge that another team will probably take a chance on Harvey as a starter, meaning they’re expecting him to be picked up. That’s why Boras and Harvey’s decision to refuse a minor league assignment makes sense.
