On Monday, Ian Mohr of the New York Post’s Page Six published a report that Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was seen partying in San Diego on Saturday night, the night before he gave up a home run in another disappointing relief appearance against the Padres. The report cited “a spy” who suggested that Harvey “must have been so desperate to party, he came up from San Diego.” The report cited another guest who said Harvey “was sober.”
GM Sandy Alderson got wind of the report and was unable to hide his disdain for Harvey. Via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Alderson was asked if he was upset about the report about Harvey. Alderson said, “Usually I get upset if a report is unexpected. So I guess the short answer is no.”
Recently, I wrote about Harvey, who was rude when he expressed that he did not wish to speak to the media. He’s been having a rough go of it, as he struggled so much as a starter that he got demoted to the bullpen, and he’s struggling there, too. The media is down his throat and now his GM has expressed disappointment in him publicly.
Harvey, who is a free agent after the season, and the Mets need to part ways. The situation appears to be toxic. What is still in it for either party? Harvey is constantly under the microscope as a Met; the Mets are getting a 5.76 ERA from him so far this season and he hasn’t been effective since 2015. Harvey needs a change of scenery -- a new team with fans that haven’t turned on him, with media members that don’t have a bone to pick with him, and a front office that doesn’t expect him to return to Cy Young form overnight. The Mets would no longer feel obligated to dedicate a spot on the 25-man roster to a pitcher they clearly don’t believe in.