Matt Harvey’s days in the Mets starting rotation are numbered, at least for now.
The embattled right-hander was demoted to the bullpen on Saturday before the Mets 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway said that Harvey’s demotion could lead to a return to the rotation down the road, if he is able to show improvement.
“I wouldn’t say he is discouraged. I would say he is motivated to go out there and show he can start. We will do everything we can to help him do that,” Callaway told reporters, Saturday.
There is no doubt that Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland know their stuff. Both have seen their fare share of starting pitchers take a demotion in stride only to return to the rotation better than ever. Callaway saw it in Cleveland with Carlos Carrassco and Trevor Bauer.
And, even with the Mets, Callaway sent both Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to the bullpen to great success. Gsellman is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in 10 appearances, while Lugo is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Both are starting pitchers by trade, but didn’t complain when given the opportunity to contribute in another fashion.
The same can’t be said for Harvey.
After imploding in his last start in Atlanta, Harvey told reporters on Thursday that he expects to remain in the rotation. When word got out Saturday that he was heading to the bullpen, CBS writer, Anthony DiComo tweeted that Harvey was “pissed off” and “motivated” by the demotion.
It all depends on Harvey, and how he wants to handle this. A demotion to the bullpen, or even the minors, was inevitable. Ever since he bullied former manager Terry Collins into leaving him in to pitch deep into Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, it has been downhill for the starter once labeled the Dark Knight.
Since 2016 Harvey is 9-19 with a 5.79 ERA in 206.1 innings of work. While a lot of Harvey’s struggles can be attributed to his inability to fully recover from Tommy John Surgery and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, he is also a guy who has constantly butted heads with Mets management over his off-the-field behavior.
“I think he can help us,” Callaway said. “We can help him utilize his aggressiveness and utilize his pitches to get outs.”
Callaway and Eiland are two of the games best pitching coaches over the past five seasons. They are willing to work with Harvey, if he is willing to work with them. This is Harvey’s last shot to prove that he can be the dominant starting pitcher he once was. If he has any visions of cashing in “big” on his free agent contract in 2019, Harvey needs to welcome this opportunity.
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