Latest Harvey Controversy Shows Marriage With Mets Is Broken
NEW YORK (CBS SPORTS) -- In broken marriages, there comes a point when both parties realize it's just not worth the effort any longer and agree to divorce. The Mets and right-handed pitcher Matt Harvey have been a broken marriage for some time and it seems like now is as good a time as any for both sides to just cut their losses.
With Harvey in the bullpen, the latest "controversy" around him seems largely media-created. It's a Page Six "report" that Harvey was seen "partying in LA the night before he had a wobbly time" in San Diego in a relief outing. The headline is awfully sensational, just as saying Harvey was seen "stumbling around," considering that later in the "report" the Page Six writer said a source told them Harvey "was sober."
If he was sober, why splash "partying" all over the place?
Of course, given Harvey's history and his constant falling out of favor with Mets' brass, him being in LA instead of San Diego likely wasn't going to sit well. And let's leave it to Mets general manager Sandy Alderson for the death blow:
Harvey hasn't been a good pitcher since 2015. He lost his rotation spot. He has an ERA of 5.76 this season. He's a free agent at the end of this season. Meantime, he appears to be the only media distraction on a Mets team that has started 17-9, which is a 106-win pace.
Why, exactly, do the Mets need to keep him around?
By the same token, Harvey's gotten to the point of being too much a New York media whipping boy. After his first relief outing last week, Harvey left the ballpark before speaking with reporters. He was shamed for it on Twitter. The next day, before the game, the reporters got to Harvey. He was said to have laughed at the idea that he'd speak with them, saying there's "no chance" he'd do an interview. From Newsday:
"I have nothing to say to [reporters]," Harvey said.
Why not?
"I don't [expletive] want to," Harvey said.
Wouldn't it benefit Harvey to try and resurrect his career somewhere with a bit less media scrutiny? I don't think he'd be quite as pestered in, say, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Kansas City, Cincinnati, San Diego or a handful of other places.
I'm not saying Harvey shouldn't be held accountable and I'm certainly not defending him. He doesn't come across as very likable. It's just that it's pretty clear by now this is a dead-end marriage. End it sooner rather than later, for the benefit of all involved parties.
