The Mets informed right-hander Matt Harvey on Saturday that he was moving to the bullpen, after which the 29-year-old told Tim Healey of Newsday and other reporters, “On a scale of 1 to 10, obviously I’m at a 10 with being [ticked] off.” The former ace went on to acknowledge that he has struggled, though, and both Harvey and manager Mickey Callaway are hopeful he’ll work his way back into the club’s rotation. “It’s inevitable that he’s going to make more starts for us this year. That’s how baseball goes,” Callaway said. “As of right now, we think that indications are that he’s going to go down there and try to be the best Matt Harvey he can be.” Harvey, whose descent from top-of-the-rotation status began in 2016, has pitched to an ugly 6.57 ERA/6.07 FIP in 113 2/3 innings since last season.
- The Phillies optioned left-hander Hoby Milner to Triple-A on Saturday, paving the way for right-hander Tommy Hunter’s activation from the disabled list on Sunday. Hunter, whom the Phillies signed to a two-year, $18MM deal in the offseason, opened the year on the DL because of a hamstring strain. The 31-year-old will join a bullpen that has been effective thus far (3.21 ERA/3.70 FIP in 67 1/3 innings) despite a lack of contributions from him and fellow free-agent pickup Pat Neshek, who’s on the DL with shoulder inflammation.
- Tigers southpaw Daniel Norris has only made one start in three appearances this year. For now, the team will continue deploying Norris as a reliever in the majors, as opposed to having him start in the minors, manager Ron Gardenhire told Jason Beck of MLB.com and other reporters. The former high-end prospect’s lone start so far came Friday, when he only allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings against the Royals. However, Norris’ fastball velocity – which was in the low-90s in previous years – averaged just 88.6 mph, per Beck. The 24-year-old’s above-average spin rate helped make up for it, Beck notes, and Norris expects that to serve him well if his missing velocity returns. “I haven’t thrown this slow since I was a sophomore in high school, so I’m figuring something out and I’m learning how to pitch,” Norris said. “And when it does come back, I’m going to be a lot better for it.”
- As is the case with Norris, Mariners reliever Juan Nicasio has dealt with a decline in velocity early this season. While Nicasio insists he’s not having any health issues, it’s nonetheless alarming that the offseason investment’s fastball velocity is averaging 93.2 mph after clocking in at 95.7 in 2017, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes. Nicasio’s velo did increase last season, which is cause for optimism, though it also started out at a higher level (upward of 95 mph), Divish points out. In 2017, his first year as a full-time reliever, Nicasio was terrific with three clubs (the Pirates, Phillies and Cardinals). The Mariners then awarded him their richest contract of the winter in free agency (two years, $17MM), but with five earned runs allowed in 9 2/3 innings, he has gotten off to a slow start.
It seems like a lot of pitchers are dealing with a decline in velocity to begin the season. Isn’t this sort of normal?
Matt should be happy it was solely a move to the Pen with truly good intentions behind it. It could have been a lot worse.
He would have been picked up to start somewhere. How could it have been worse?
The team is telling him they are trying to improve his chances to be a ML starter with this move.
He could have been sent to the Pen with no promised help of getting back to the rotation – that would be dramatically worse
Being optioned to the minors would have been much worse too. As would being released, as it’s unlikely he would have easily found another suiter who knows him and is promising to be so helpful for his career. In fact, since a starting gig quite likely wouldn’t have been offered, and if he isn’t willing to go to the pen and minors, he might have been forced to be pitching in an Indy league or over seas to finish the year
What he got is the best thing for him, whether he’s smart enough to grasp it or not
Don’t want to get moved to the pen? Pitch better as a starter…
He can’t
Bingo
If all goes well Harvey might get a minor league contract next year
The college picks dont learn to pitch as much. If Harvey was a high school pick it would be completely different career trajectory.
I understand your point (so far as I interpret it) that college pitchers are viewed as more seasoned and sometimes, if not often times, rushed through the minors as opposed to high school draftees who are tempered more and given time to grow and mature. In this instance however, Harvey had very significant success and has no plausible understanding both personally and organizationally as to how to replicate that succees.
To a degree, I absolutely agree that Harvey got by on great stuff and now that is failing him and he can’t pitch his way out of his shortcomings like a 40 year old Jamie Moyer throwing 89-91 mph was able to still produce average results and keep a big league starting gig. Hope he turns it around and regains some success but flat and straight gets hit even if its 94-98 in modern baseball.
Minor correction that’s off-topic to the Harvey discussion:
Moyer in his forties didn’t throw 89-91. It was literally about 78-81 — “fast”ball velocity. And heck, he was even *above* average for a few years into his forties. My eyeball guess would say he was probably around average for his age-40-47 years, but peaked at 40 and re-emerged with his league switch to Phillie at 45 for a last hurrah.
Sorry for the tangent. We may now continue discussing Matt Harvey and his hissy fit and blaming the org for his well-deserved demotion.
Matt Harvey: 34 major league wins. Collin Mchugh: 48 major league wins
Because wins are the best way to compare pitchers
Lol seriously
Yes I’ll take the guy who wins. And please dont launch into a spiel about sabermetrics and how wins are team dependent
“ . . . I’ll take the guy who wins. And please don’t launch into a spiel about sabermetrics and how wins are team dependent”
IOW, you know you are wrong but just don’t care. That is special.
Winning trumps everything but sex and matzoh ball soup on a cold day. As Al Davis once said, “just win baby”.
“IOW, you know you are wrong but just don’t care. That is special.”
_____
This just about sums it up for everyone. It truly is ‘special’…
The likes of Chris Archer, Luis Severino, Jimmy Nelson, and Aaron Nola had higher WAR last year than Justin Verlander. So ok, have fun with those guys and I’ll take Verlander. 🙂
Not sure how this was brought up but I never said I would or wouldn’t take a certain pitcher over another.
Yeah and Verlander went to the Astros who’s offense helped Verlander record wins. A pitchers “wins” are greatly affected by the team whether you want to realize it or not
So, Miggy, Upton, JD, V-Mart, Kinsler & Castellanos wasn’t enough offense for Verlander?
That is bull = It is the opposite if anything. The Astro’s win because Verlander pitchs and pitches DEEP in to games, because he is a winner.
It doesn’t hurt that his ERA has been close to 1. How about Madison Bumgarner.
I Bet Jacob Degrom would trade in his 7 ishutout innings for a win 2x this season.
The more the statistic revolution moves forward, the more it becomes clear that it iscrewed up. The most important thing for a pitcher is to win and to reassert the competition.
On a scale of of 1-10 on Met fans being upset at Harvey’s selfishness and lack of production…we are at 100
I would say he is selfish but in the end his agent and doctor recommendation of cutting him off during the playoff run after tj surgery may have been prudent but definitely the start of his decline. So he may have been right.
Atleast the mets are willing to work to bring him back as a starter with a guy that has not only done it once but twice.. Could be worse, could be Oliver Perez again where he was asked to the bullpen and refused and eventually cut then came back to be a a solid reliever when no one would give him a starting job.
>I would say he is selfish but in the end his agent and doctor recommendation of >cutting him off during the playoff run after tj surgery may have been prudent but definitely the start of his decline. So he may have been right.
That is a wives tail.. He was pitching fine and if anything, he should have pitched more, and never been pulled in the WS. That whole emotional drama should never had happened. Playing baseball, and pitching is fleeting thing. When you get a chance atg the Brass Ring, you have to ride the tiger.
Just because he was terrible so far this year and terrible last year and terrible the year before that, the Mets quickly jumped to the conclusion that he shouldn’t be in their starting rotation. No respect.
Harvey needs to shut and accept his role. He hasn’t be relevant in 3 years
Harvey after opening day: “This team is going to surprise a lot of people. We sent a message we’re competitive.” Harvey three weeks later: “I’m a starting pitcher.”, Harvey is demoted to the bullpen.