Mets Rumors: Mickey Callaway helped nix Matt Harvey trade offers

Matt Harvey fans should thank New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway. Over the winter, he helped keep Harvey in New York.

The New York Mets are unlikely to make any significant trade for at least a few months. They inevitably will, whether it involves buying or selling.

During this most recent offseason, they explored the idea of making one very big trade. This included a deal that would have sent have sent Matt Harvey away from Citi Field.

According to James Wagner of the New York Times, the Mets shopped Harvey over the winter. They didn’t exactly do a hard sell. Rather than accept a lower than desired offer for the team’s former ace, the Mets decided to hold onto Harvey for another year. Fans can thank Mickey Callaway for keeping him in New York.

Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland recommended they not trade Harvey. Can we blame them? His ceiling, while sinking, still has room to go up. He’s one of the league’s best candidates to bounce back and have a terrific year. We’ve seen him succeed before. What’s to stop him from doing it again?

The window to trade Harvey and get a lot back in return ended after the 2016 season. That season, the Dark Knight posted an uncharacteristic 4.86 ERA. Matched with it was a record of 4-10 over 17 starts.

As everyone would like to forget, the following year was far worse.

Could the Mets still trade Harvey?

The Harvey Era in New York is very likely over after the 2018 season. I can’t envision any scenario where they keep him.

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Harvey can light the world on fire. If he does, someone else will surely offer him more.

In a scenario where Harvey continues to struggle, the Mets won’t want him back.

It would seem that regardless of the outcome, Harvey’s days with the Mets are numbered.

The Mets would certainly prefer to get more in return for Harvey than some great memories. He’s not a qualifying offer candidate. In fact, there was a possibility that he’d be non-tendered over the winter. This means losing Harvey for nothing at all.

Harvey is a very likely trade candidate for the Mets this summer. I can see many reasons why they would deal him. Even if they are a winning ball club, their pitching depth will allow them to move him.

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Based on the report from the New York Times, the Mets value Harvey more than the rest of the league. This probably means he stays with them for the whole year. If it leads to a playoff berth for the Mets, we can all credit Callaway for speaking up.