Being a former top prospect and having had a degree of success in the majors can open plenty of doors, even when those years are far in the past. Teams will hope that they can be the ones to rediscover that magic, to turn that player’s career around. Such is the case with Matt Harvey, who, despite continually diminishing returns, is still getting chance after chance.
The Baltimore Orioles are the latest team to attempt to resurrect Harvey’s career. According to Jon Heyman, they have signed the one time top prospect to a minor league deal.
Matt Harvey has minors deal with Orioles
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 13, 2021
Baltimore Orioles hope to catch lightning in a bottle with Matt Harvey
A consensus top 100 prospect prior to the 2012 season, Harvey had found almost immediate success in the majors. He was an All Star in 2013, and despite missing the 2014 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, had an excellent showing in 2015. He appeared to be on the cusp of being a star for the Mets.
But that was not to be the case. Injuries, questions about his mental approach, and Harvey failing to remain in shape torpedoed his career. He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and aside from a brief stint with the Reds, had not even been a league average pitcher.
Harvey may have finally reached his nadir last season. He had performed well for the Royals during his time at their alternate training site, earning another major league opportunity. However, he was once again unable to do anything with the opportunity, posting an 11.57 ERA and a 2.743 WHiP over his 11.2 innings.
Now it is the Orioles’ turn to attempt to coax something out of Harvey. They do have openings on their pitching staff, both in the bullpen and in the rotation. Maybe, with a strong showing in spring training, Harvey will once again find himself in the majors, desperately looking to recapture his form from earlier in his career.
However, it is more likely that Matt Harvey is again unable to be that pitcher he once was. It is now the Baltimore Orioles turn to try to catch lightning in a bottle