Fansided

5 teams who should take a chance on Matt Harvey

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

1. San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres haven’t had a good starting pitcher since Jake Peavy, and his last good season for them was all the way back in 2009. Despite signing Eric Hosmer to a nine-figure deal, 2018 is already looking like another lost year for the perennially-rebuilding Padres. They are ten games below .500 in one of the league’s toughest divisions and have the third-worst staff ERA in MLB.

It has now been 11 seasons since the Padres last made the playoffs, and this year will make 12. There is talent coming up through the farm system, but the best pitching prospects, namely Mackenzie Gore and Anderson Espinoza are still several years away. Getting to the point where the team is ready to contend could eat up whatever is left of Hosmer’s prime.

Next: Every MLB team’s Mount Rushmore

The Padres have nothing to lose in taking a shot on Harvey. Their rotation currently includes three starters with an ERA over six (and that’s not even counting Luis Perdomo who was sent down after four starts with an ERA over eight). Tyson Ross, who has had his own shoulder troubles, is pitching well for the Padres. The 31-year-old right-hander could help Harvey work through his own issues with command and decreased velocity.

Petco Park remains one of the better pitcher’s parks in the league, and the Padres can offer a low-pressure situation for Harvey to attempt to get his career back on track. As long as he avoids any unauthorized trips up the coast to LA, he will be fine in San Diego.

Home/MLB