Matt Harvey’s first foray into free agency won’t be the nine-figure bidding war once expected long ago, but there will be a market for the right-hander.
FanCred reported on Wednesday that the A’s and Reds, who Harvey pitched for last season, are among the teams interested in Harvey. The 29-year-old was traded from the Mets to Cincinnati last season, when he had hit rock bottom, sporting a 7.00 ERA and refusing to accept a minor-league assignment after already being demoted from the rotation to the bullpen.
But Harvey found some redemption with the Reds, rediscovering some of the velocity that Tommy John surgery and Thoracic outlet syndrome robbed him of and was a respectable 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA.
Harvey seemed to fit in well with the Reds last season, while the A’s would offer him a chance at pitching for a contending team. Oakland won a surprising 97 games last season to earn a wild-card playoff spot, despite a makeshift rotation.