Four days after designating him for assignment, the New York Mets have traded pitcher Matt Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Devin Mesoraco and cash. The trade occurred as the two teams faced each other this afternoon in Cincinnati.
If going from a pennant contender to the worst team in the NL in a city not known for it's night life isn't a wake up call for Harvey then nothing is.
Harvey's travails since the 2015 World Series have been well documented. But Mesoraco has had a similar fall from grace. After a breakthrough season with the Reds in 2014 in which he hit 25 home runs and drove in 80 runs including a NL All-Star team selection, Mesoraco missed nearly 400 games over the next three seasons with various injuries to his left hip, left shoulder and left foot.
At this point, the odds are long if Mesoraco, who turns 30 next month, can regain his All-Star form. This is especially true when you consider the position he plays. But perhaps Mesoraco can reinvent himself either at another position or as a pinch hitting specialist. Given that Mesoraco is a free agent at the end of the year, the Mets are taking little to no risk here.
The same could be said for the Reds as Harvey is also a free agent at season's end. The Reds might not have much a future, but this year will give Harvey an opportunity to start and to work on his stuff. It might not pay dividends this season, but it could with a new team next season.
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