Will the Cincinnati Reds pursue Matt Harvey this off-season?

Are the Cincinnati Reds going to make a run at Matt Harvey in the offseason? A look over the free agent landscape may suggest they are.

The Cincinnati Reds held onto Matt Harvey yesterday after he was claimed by the Milwaukee Brewers. The two sides were never able to work out a deal. The Reds have said they’re likely to increase the payroll next season, and that may include a lengthy look at available starting pitchers. With some slim pickings available next season, did Cincinnati keep Harvey with the intent to re-sign him?

If you take a peek at the available starting pitchers scheduled to hit the free agent market next season, there’s not an abundance of big names. The one player that everyone will be gunning for is most likely Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Corbin, a two-time All-Star, is having a career year. The lefty is cruising through 2018 with a 10-4 record and 3.17 ERA. He’s struck out almost 200 batters on the season. With Zack Greinke, Robby Ray, and Zack Godley on the D-backs roster for the foreseeable future, Corbin may be a casualty and be handsomely rewarded this coming offseason.

Other starting pitchers whom teams may pursue this winter are Dallas Keuchel, Wade Miley, and Trevor Cahill. Miley is the elder of that bunch at 32-years-old, and he’s been limited to 10 games thus far this season. Kuechel is having another solid season, but it’s a far cry from the dominance we’ve seen from him in the past.

Cahill is the youngest of the aforementioned group at just 30-years-old, but his best season was in 2010. That’s a long time ago. He went 18-8 that year with a 2.97 ERA and a trip to the All-Star Game. Since that time, Cahill is 50-61 with a 4.18 ERA.

There are other potential starting pitchers on the market, but do the Reds really want to take a flyer on 36-year-old J.A. Happ? Gio Gonzalez had a great year in 2017, but he seemed to return to earth this season. Charlie Morton is still throwing great at age 34, but after back-to-back seasons of really good pitching and an All-Star nod, his salary might be out of the Reds’ price range.

The Reds obviously need help with their starting rotation. They’ve proven, when they’re healthy, that they can be a very dangerous offensive team. The additions of Jared Hughes and David Hernandez have helped solidify the Reds bullpen, and Raisel Iglesias is one of the better closers in the game.

Cincinnati has some young and talented arms that have the potential to be key pieces of the Reds’ rotation in the future. However, you have to wonder if players like Tyler Mahle, Sal Romano, and Cody Reed are ready to shoulder the load that would be thrust onto them. All three have shown the ability to be solid parts of the rotation, but have also shown a lack of consistency.

While Harvey hasn’t had a flawless with the Reds, he has been arguably their best pitcher since coming over from the New York Mets. If the price is right, keeping Harvey around for another two to three years could be a nice investment for the Cincinnati Reds.