Cincinnati Reds: Matt Harvey is headed to Los Angeles

The Cincinnati Reds lone free agent, Matt Harvey, appears to have struck a deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Harvey went 7-7 with the Reds last season.

The Dark Knight left Gotham in the middle of last season. He has since left the Queen City and is headed for LaLa Land. Matt Harvey, the Cincinnati Reds lone free agent, reportedly signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Matt Harvey made one thing clear before the end of last season, the New York Mets were the only team he was not going to negotiate with this offseason. The Reds seemed to hold out hope that Harvey might return to Cincinnati. But, it appears he is headed to the West Coast.

The Reds traded catcher Devin Mesoraco to the New York Mets and received Harvey in return. Both players were of little to no use for their respective teams, so the trade made sense for both sides. The Mets needed a catcher and Cincinnati was in desperate need of help in the starting rotation.

Neither team really won the trade, as Mesoraco only saw action in 66 games for the Mets and hit just .222 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. Harvey didn’t set the world on fire, going 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA and 111 strikeouts. Both players finished the season with a WAR of 0.7. I think we’ll call the trade a draw.

The only negative for the Reds with the trade was the fact that Cincinnati never flipped their perceived asset at the trade deadline or at the non-waiver trade deadline. It was reported that the Milwaukee Brewers submitted a claim for Harvey, but the two sides couldn’t work out a deal.

Matt Harvey never returned to the player that he was in 2013 when he went to the All-Star Game and was 4th in the NL Cy Young voting. That season, Harvey went 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA, 191 strikeouts, a FIP of 2.01, and an ERA+ of 157. He was dealing that season.

In the end, Matt Harvey and the Cincinnati Reds were not meant to be. Honestly, at the price the Angels are paying, I don’t blame the Reds for skipping out. Tanner Roark will fill a similar role to what Harvey occupied last season and he doesn’t carry the injury history.

Most Reds fans probably wish Cincinnati would’ve gotten something for Harvey at the trade deadline, but that’s in the past and the Reds are now moving forward without him. Best of luck to Matt Harvey next year with the Angels.