In a self-penned piece for The Players’ Tribune, Matt Harvey tried to settle the innings-limit controversy of the last few days by firmly stating that he intends to pitch in the postseason:
“As an athlete, when your surgeon explains to you the risks of exceeding a certain number of innings, it can be alarming. You listen. I love to play baseball and I love winning even more. I would not give that up for anything. I also know I want to be able to play and win for a long time. But there has never been a doubt in my mind: I will pitch in the playoffs. I will be healthy, active and ready to go.
I am communicating with my agent, my doctor, Sandy [Alderson] and the entire Mets organization. I can assure everyone that we’re all on the same page.
Together, we are coming up with a plan to reach an innings limit during the season. It will be a compromise between the doctors and the Mets organization to get me, and the team, to where we need to be for our postseason run.”
Here’s some more from around the NL East…
- In other innings-limit news, Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters (including Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post) that the team will consider shutting rookie right-hander Joe Ross down for the season. Ross lasted just 4 1/3 innings in today’s start and both he and Williams admitted that fatigue may have played a role. Ross has thrown 149 2/3 innings between the majors and minors this season, well beyond his previous professional season high of 122 1/3 IP in 2013.
- Several Marlins players have expressed displeasure about team management to friends and within the clubhouse, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. The Marlins’ decision to trade veterans for prospects, GM-turned-manager Dan Jennings’ in-game decisions and the overall belief that Miami “still prioritizes saving money over winning” are three of the players’ main issues.
- Also from Jackson, he notes that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has been listening to assistant GM Mike Berger, director of pro scouting Jeff McAvoy and others more than he’s been listening to Jennings. There has been a lot of speculation about what changes are coming to Miami’s baseball operations crew, including whether Jennings will return as GM, take another front office role or perhaps part ways with the team altogether.
- A.J. Pierzynski has enjoyed playing for the Braves and hopes to return in 2016, he tells MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The veteran catcher will be a free agent this winter, and while Atlanta has Christian Bethancourt as its prospective catcher of the future, there have been signs that the club isn’t satisfied with Bethancourt’s development. There were reports last month that the Braves were also interested in bringing Pierzynski back for another season. Pierzynski signed a one-year, $2MM deal with Atlanta last winter and has already earned an extra $400K via playing-time bonuses, Bowman notes.
I am communicating with my agent, my doctor, Sandy [Alderson] and the entire Mets organization. I can assure everyone that we’re all on the same page.
#Ridiculous!
I mean wasn’t Boras ripping the Mets a few years ago for not getting ‘Astronauts’
Now that they are on verge of making the playoffs, now they have to head to the negotiation table to get this situation straightened out.
#Baloney!
Either Harvey wants to man up and pitch and get a chance at the World Series or he doesn’t. He knows how his arm feels! Quite frankly this is baloney drama the Mets don’t need.
Sports fans can be incredibly dense and self-centered. Matt Harvey (earning half a million) has and had every right to want to heed the expert advice from a world-class doctor on an innings limit that extends his career.
If Harvey blows out his arm again, it’s only him and his family that deal with it. The average fam forgets he even exists.
Fans often mistakenly treat players like their puppets. Sorry, but athletes are people too, and deserve to be able to do what’s best for their financial future.
Glad to see Mets and docs worked out a compromise.
I don’t think anybody is complaining too much about that. Most people realize that it is important for him to stay healthy in order for future success. The issue at hand seems to be the sudden release of information saying he shouldn’t go past 180 IPs. With that being the case, the Mets and Harvey should’ve planned ahead of time, and they didn’t. To me, it seems like poor communication by both parties because the expectation should always be to pitch in October and they should’ve planned accordingly. The Mets and Harvey did not.
While I agree with you, there are two other components to it: the timing of the release of this information and the bizarre contradiction of his current stance on the 180 inning limit with his stance earlier this season, when he did not want his starts skipped and did not want to go to a six man rotation. Earlier in the season, he didn’t want his innings limited, now he does.
Also, if he’s truly that concerned about the potential of injury ruining his chances at a payday, then it would make sense for him to be open to an extension, which he has not been. It also doesn’t appear like he will be, either.
If the Mets want him to risk his health they should sign him to a long term contract to guarantee reasonably income for a young player of his abilities. It should probably cover all of his arb years plus 1.
In fairness, he’s on a contract near the major league minimum, he’s performed very well, fought his way back from TJ surgery, which is no mean feat, and is still pitching at a high level. If your doctor tells you one thing, and your team wants to ask you for more, you are going to have doubts. Boras was perhaps foolish by raising this, because the sentiment seems to be “he’s getting paid, let him throw his arm out, who cares?” which in incredibly shortsighted. What should happen here are quiet conversations between pitcher and management.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fpodtrackstg.radio.com%2Fpts%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd1%2Fd9%2FdF%2FdY%2FdZ%2F19FYZ_0.WMA%3Fshow%3DWFAN+Podcasts%26amp%3Bcategory%3DSports+%26+Recreation%26amp%3Bcallsign%3DWFANAM%26amp%3Bmarket%3DNew+York&podcast_name=Ed+Randall+with+Leo+Mazzone&podcast_artist=Ed+Randall&station_id=62&tag=pages&dcid=CBS.NY
Lee Mazzone seems to have it right