The Orioles reportedly have signed former Mets star pitcher Matt Harvey to a minor-league contract, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
With the addition of Harvey, Baltimore adds another veteran pitcher to the mix for spring training. The Baltimore Sun reported that Harvey’s deal is worth $1 million if he makes the team, similar to what the Orioles offered former Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez in the minor-league contract he agreed to earlier this offseason.
Harvey, 31, joins Hernandez and Wade LeBlanc in rotation with All-Star pitcher John Means and rookies Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer. Latching on with the Royals in 2020, Harvey went a 0-3 record with a 11.57 ERA in seven games. Harvey’s career has plummeted since 2015, when he posted a 2.71 ERA to help the Mets to the World Series, which they lost to the Royals in five games. Since then, Harvey has a 5.82 ERA over 87 games, pitching for four teams, including the Mets, Reds, Angels and Royals.
Orioles executive Vice President and general manager Mike Elias said Friday that he wanted to add another experienced pitcher to the spring training mix, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“We’ve got a bunch of young pitchers that are in the mix for that rotation, which is great,” Elias said. “I think a lot of the minor league free agents that we signed this winter that were on this list that we haven’t seen yet are interesting arms and we’re going to get a look at some of those guys too, and they’re all pretty much length guys or starters.
“We’ve got the Rule 5 guys [Mac Sceroler and Tyler Wells] that are in the mix. But I think if we’re able to bring in another veteran major-league starter in some way into this camp, we’re going to continue to look at that.”
The 2015 NL Comeback Player of the Year had a breakout season in 2013 as a MLB All-Star. In 2014, he missed the entire season due to Tommy John surgery.
Harvey’s last few years with the Mets were muddled with controversy. A frequent back-page figure for staying out late and partying hard, Harvey was suspended for three games without pay after he didn’t show up to the ballpark in May 2017.
The Mets traded him to the Reds in 2018, and he signed with the Angels that December. Los Angeles released him in July 2019, after which he signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics, though he never pitched for them in the majors. He became a free agent after the year and then signed with Kansas City on July 28 of last year.
