Former Mets ace Matt Harvey needs to give relief pitching a try

Former New York Mets ace Matt Harvey may not have a future as a starting pitcher. To stay in the big leagues, he needs to try his luck as a high-leverage reliever.

Matt Harvey hasn’t pitched a game for the New York Mets in over a year now and yet here we are, still paying attention to what he’s up to. He was the first of the great aces to catch our attention this decade. For a while, he looked like the best.

I hate to use injuries as an excuse for any player, but for Harvey, it’s clear his body didn’t agree to keep up with his talent.

Harvey finished 2018 by making 24 starts for the Cincinnati Reds. The result was a very OCD-pleasing 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA. In other words, he won half the time he started and gave up an average of a run every other inning.

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The 2019 season hasn’t gone nearly as well for the Dark Knight. Now a member of the Los Angeles Angels, he’s currently on the injured list after suffering through some painful starts with his new club. Harvey is currently 2-4 with a 7.50 ERA as a member of the Angels.

At this point in his career, it’s tough to imagine Harvey recapturing the magic from his early seasons. His lowest ERA in a season since 2015 is 4.86 which he posted in 2016. No longer the pitcher he once was, Harvey must do something he failed to in his last year with New York: accept a role in relief.

Other ex-star starters have made the transition well to the bullpen. It doesn’t always translate well, though. There’s no guarantee Harvey will look better pitching an inning or two several times a week will yield better results. After this potentially disastrous season, he has to re-think his stance on who and what he is on the mound.

The Mets moved Harvey to the bullpen in 2018 and he was not happy about it. At the time, he was about to enter his first chance at free agency. Turning things around as a starter would have earned him the biggest bucks.

The Angels believed in him enough to award him a one-year deal worth $11 million in 2019. He hasn’t come close to meeting those expectations. No longer locked into a deal beyond this season, Harvey must try something new.

I’m not sure the Angels would have much interest in moving him to the bullpen for anything more than mop-up duty. They could benefit from it, though. Let’s say he returns healthy several weeks before the trade deadline. If he’s dominating in a relief role, flipping him for a younger player is possible.

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This would include every Mets fans’ least favorite two-letter word, “if.” For Harvey to become a talented high-leverage reliever, plenty needs to go his way. Hardest of all, someone needs to give him a shot.