According to ESPN, the Reds have made trading Matt Harvey their main focus this week. The Mariners and Brewers are on the top of the list of contenders who have expressed interest in the right hander.
Since the Reds acquired Harvey from the Mets back in May, his fastball is back up to 94 MPH. He’s also pitched well enough for the Reds to win seven of his thirteen starts.
Harvey has also stopped acting like a dick, something he did on a regular basis in New York.
More telling, Harvey has received positive reviews for his professionalism and team ethic since joining the Reds. People around the club use words like “model citizen” and “zero maintenance” to describe how well he’s fit in at Great American Ball Park. The Reds even kicked around the idea of approaching Harvey about a contract extension. But the prevailing sense is that Harvey and his agent, Scott Boras, will want to see what’s out there in free agency — even if it’s a one-year “pillow” type of arrangement.
Pitching isn’t easy to come by and a place like Seattle or Milwaukee might allow for the continuation of the success he’s seen in Cincinnati. It might just be the perfect fit for one of these two teams.
