MLB trade rumors: Mets, Rangers have discussed Matt Harvey for Jurickson Profar trade; Orioles also involved
A potential reclamation project trade!
Per a report from Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Mets and Rangers have discussed a trade that would send Matt Harvey to Texas and Jurickson Profar to Queens. While this is a trade that would have been much more interesting in 2012, there’s still some intrigue here. Profar, of course, is the former top prospect of all of baseball, while Harvey was dominant in his first three years in the majors, the last of the three after returning from Tommy John surgery.
Harvey was, to say the least, horrendous in 2017, putting up a 6.70 ERA in only 19 appearances (18 starts) while allowing a staggering 21 home runs in under 100 innings pitched. Harvey walked more than 4.5 batters per nine and struck out just 6.5 batters per nine, both by far career worsts.
Profar struggled in 2017 as well, with just ten hits in 58 at-bats at the big league level—with two doubles as his only extra-base hits. Profar was excellent in 87 AAA games, though, batting .287/.383/.428 with seven home runs and 43 walks to just 33 strikeouts. Profar has seen major-league time at all four infield positions as well as left field.
On the surface, this trade strikes me as one that would need some balancing out from the Mets--while Harvey is under control for just one more season to Profar’s three, he is much more proven at the major league level, and Profar has also been bit by the injury bug multiple times in his career. The Mets are known to be looking for infield help, and the Rangers could try a modified six-man rotation, so perhaps this hypothetical change of scenery would be a boon to both players.
UPDATE: Heyman has since tempered the situation a bit with a tweet, saying that there would be “a lot of hurdles to clear” to get the deal done. Additionally, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Orioles—who perhaps have a clearer need for starting pitching than any other team league-wide—are also discussing Harvey with New York.