TerriLoves28 asks…
How do you think the Clayton Kershaw deal will impact Matt Harvey when his time comes? Should we say our goodbyes now?
Joe D. replies…
I would hold off on saying goodbye for now. I think it’s way too early for anyone to speculate on Harvey when the Mets won’t have to make that decision until 2017. Harvey has just 36 starts under his belt and while he’s been phenomenal, it doesn’t even begin to compare with what two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw has done. In 186 starts over the last six years, Kershaw in 77-46 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.
Harvey will also miss all of the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and while we all remain hopeful, he needs to comeback and show that he can pitch at the same level he did for two-thirds of the 2013 season. I think it’s a bit silly to put Matt Harvey and $216 million in the same sentence right now.
Alex in CT asks…
Do you think we could just drop Ike Davis, play Eric Young at second base and move Daniel Murphy to first base?
Joe D. replies…
While it’s a very real possibility that the Mets release Ike before the end of spring training to avoid paying him $3.5 million and just giving him his $600K severance pay, it likely won’t mean that Murphy slides over to first base.
With Davis out of the picture, the plan would probably be to have Duda and Josh Satin platoon at first base and leaving Murph exactly where he is. The platoon at first will mean more production at first base than Murphy alone could provide, and leaving him at second makes Mutphy more valuable as a trade chip down the road.
As for Young, he’ll serve the Mets better as the fourth outfielder and backup second baseman. The Mets will find a way to ensure he gets at least 350 at-bats this season.
