The Braves have signed Joe Harvey to a minor league deal earlier this week, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Harvey has been assigned to the team’s Triple-A camp.
The 31-year-old Harvey has amassed a 3.32 ERA and a 29.75% strikeout rate over 105 2/3 Triple-A innings (all in relief) during his career, spending time with the top affiliates of the Yankees, Rockies, and Twins since the start of the 2018 season. Those missed bats came at a price, however, as Harvey has battled his control and also had to deal with some injury concerns. Harvey’s 2020 and 2021 seasons were both cut short by forearm strains, and he didn’t pitch at all in 2022.
Harvey’s MLB resume consists of 21 1/3 total innings, 18 of which came with the Yankees and Rockies in 2019. He’ll look for a path back to the big leagues (or perhaps just some healthy innings whatsoever), with a Braves team that has had some luck with veteran reclamation projects in recent years. If he can keep his walks down, Harvey might have some potential as an under-the-radar depth reliever for Atlanta’s bullpen.
Now go get Steve.
Matt Harvey would fit in well with the Braves culture
Well to add an obscure reference, they should also get Paul. Now you know the rest of the story…
Before my time, but a famous Harvey he is!
Pitchers these days seem to have control issues. Every report so far, “concerns about control” more often than not. Does anyone teach these kids how to pitch anymore?
No, MLB only likes guys that throw 97+ for 5 innings or less. Max effort all the time.
You’re right. Throwing hard is the only way they get much of a chance. Look at all the SP 10-15 years ago that struck out 7 or even less per 9. What happened to them? They simply don’t get much of a chance. Some of the inflated k numbers is a change in hitting philosophy but not the main reason we stopped seeing pitchers who don’t K the world. If they force their way to a chance by dominance in AAA they are only given a small chance then cut. And their salaries will be lower even if they succeed. A player like Tim Hudson who every year outperformed him stats like FIP would be deemed lucky, if given a chance at all. While a guy throwing 97 walking the world is given chances into his 30s even if he never succeeds.
Also realize many pitchers, like Hudson, got/get better when they stop striking guys out as much.
@Rishi it’s a shame, they can throw the ball into the 7th row seats with 99 mph and gets signed to pitch for a major league club. Pitching is a lost art and it’s a shame. It should be about outs, not Ks. A guy throws harder, usually has control issues. The coach of any major league club pretty much says, “Rear back and let it rip. We don’t care where the ball goes. Just let it go.” Then wonder why pitchers have high wall rates with very little control. Someone is going to get killed by these pitchers and this logic
Most pitching coaches used to say to rear off a little and that’s generally when pitchers improved. Even very recently many starters came up throwing 97 and didn’t get good until they threw 92 or so.
Matzek 2.0? Probably not but it’s worth a minor league flier for depth.
Matzek is a lefty and this guy is a RHP
All the pitchers who don’t have control issues are already signed.
Most teams have at least 4 pitchers with control issues. Tyler Glasnow from Tampa can’t last more than 5 innings and is all over the place with his pitches. The Verlander, Kershaw, and others, are dying out and replaced with guys who can’t pitch for strikes and outs for the life of them.
Lol a Pirates fan making an “objective” assessment of Tyler Glasnow
Lol Mets fans think they are something now that Cohan took over. Someday you may see a World Series with a billion dollar payroll.