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Reds acquire Matt Harvey, ship Devin Mesoraco to Mets
CINCINNATI -- Matt Harvey is getting another chance, this time with a historically bad team in a city that will have far fewer late-night temptations than the Big Apple. The Mets are getting a catcher who can help at their most unsettled position.
The Reds acquired the former New York ace for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday, shortly before Cincinnati pulled away to a 7-2 victory over the Mets at Great American Ball Park.
The deal provided a fresh start for two former All-Stars whose careers have been sidetracked by injuries.
The Reds agreed to pay the Mets $5,788,978 as part of the trade, which made the deal come out nearly even financially. Harvey is making $5,625,000 on a one-year contract. Mesoraco gets $13 million in the final season of a four-year, $28 million deal.
The 29-year-old Harvey was designated for assignment on Saturday, giving the Mets seven days to trade or release him when he refused a demotion to the minors. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA this season.
The Reds were 8-27 at the time of the trade, matching the worst 35-game start in franchise history, with the rotation their most glaring problem. Harvey will move into the rotation immediately.
The Reds gave up a catcher who no longer fit their long-term plans. Mesoraco was batting .220 in 18 games with one homer and three RBIs, playing a backup role to Gold Glove winner Tucker Barnhart.
Harvey was nicknamed the Dark Knight and started the 2013 All-Star Game on his home mound at Citi Field. He returned from Tommy John surgery in 2015 and helped the Mets reach their first World Series in 15 years.
It was a steep slide the last few years. He fell to a 4-10 record with a 4.86 ERA in 2016 and had season-ending surgery in July. Last year, Harvey went 5-7 with a 6.70 ERA and was sidelined from mid-June until September because of an injury to the scapula in his right shoulder.
The 29-year-old Mesoraco also has significantly declined because of injuries since his All-Star season in 2014, when he led all major league catchers with 25 homers and 80 RBIs. Hip, shoulder and foot injuries limited him to 95 games over the next three seasons, when he hit only six homers and drove in 17 runs.
The Reds acquired the former New York ace for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday, shortly before Cincinnati pulled away to a 7-2 victory over the Mets at Great American Ball Park.
The deal provided a fresh start for two former All-Stars whose careers have been sidetracked by injuries.
The Reds agreed to pay the Mets $5,788,978 as part of the trade, which made the deal come out nearly even financially. Harvey is making $5,625,000 on a one-year contract. Mesoraco gets $13 million in the final season of a four-year, $28 million deal.
The 29-year-old Harvey was designated for assignment on Saturday, giving the Mets seven days to trade or release him when he refused a demotion to the minors. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA this season.
The Reds were 8-27 at the time of the trade, matching the worst 35-game start in franchise history, with the rotation their most glaring problem. Harvey will move into the rotation immediately.
The Reds gave up a catcher who no longer fit their long-term plans. Mesoraco was batting .220 in 18 games with one homer and three RBIs, playing a backup role to Gold Glove winner Tucker Barnhart.
Harvey was nicknamed the Dark Knight and started the 2013 All-Star Game on his home mound at Citi Field. He returned from Tommy John surgery in 2015 and helped the Mets reach their first World Series in 15 years.
It was a steep slide the last few years. He fell to a 4-10 record with a 4.86 ERA in 2016 and had season-ending surgery in July. Last year, Harvey went 5-7 with a 6.70 ERA and was sidelined from mid-June until September because of an injury to the scapula in his right shoulder.
The 29-year-old Mesoraco also has significantly declined because of injuries since his All-Star season in 2014, when he led all major league catchers with 25 homers and 80 RBIs. Hip, shoulder and foot injuries limited him to 95 games over the next three seasons, when he hit only six homers and drove in 17 runs.