Former Mets All-Star Shined In World Baseball Classic; Should Red Sox Consider Signing?
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The World Baseball Classic officially is behind us, but some performances may lead to future jobs.
The international tournament gave players the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage and compete against some of the best that baseball has to offer. One player who shined in the tournament is former New York Mets hurler Matt Harvey.
At one point Harvey was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball and earned his lone All-Star nod in 2013, but injuries and inconsistent play derailed his career and he has been a journeyman ever since. Since leaving the Mets during the 2018 season, Harvey has played for the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles. He didn't pitch in the big leagues in 2022 and instead pitched in Baltimore's farm system.
Harvey isn't what he once was, but shined at the World Baseball Classic. The 33-year-old compiled a 1.29 ERA in two starts across seven innings of work. Over that stretch, Harvey struck out three batters and walked just one and had an impressive WHIP at 0.71.
His performance at the World Baseball Classic surely was a small sample size, but Harvey did show he still has a little in the tank. He may not be a consistent major league starter at this point, but if the Boston Red Sox were interested, he could provide some minor league depth with upside. Harvey is a nine-year MLB veteran and it wouldn't hurt to have him in the minor leagues and a depth piece just in case Boston deals with injuries throughout the season.
Another option for Harvey potentially could be a move to the bullpen. He made two starts at the WBC, but both were short stints and could be a sign that he could be solid in a smaller inning role. Former Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Matt Moore was a starter throughout his career but after some inconsistent play moved to the bullpen in 2018 and has revived his career. Maybe a move to the bullpen could help Harvey too.
All in all Harvey showed that he can still pitch. At this point he wouldn't cost much at all so if Boston were to make a move, it would just provide the team more depth without sacrificing anything. He could either be a depth minor league option or if he were to transition to a bullpen role, maybe he could have a similar path as Moore.
At this point there have been no rumblings of a move, but maybe it should be something Boston should consider.
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