Explaining Harvey Trade To A 2013 Mets Fan

Back in 2013, the Cincinnati Reds had their second consecutive 90 win season.  Unfortunately for them, they were not able to make the postseason like they were the previous year when they were bounced from the NLDS by the San Francisco Giants.  Due to a number of factors, there was an open question after that season how long the Reds could keep this core group together.

At the same time, the New York Mets finished the season in third place in the National League East with a 74-88 record.  In that season, the team saw a rejuvenated David Wright, and Matt Harveywas the talk of the town, at least until he needed Tommy John surgery.

Using that all as a backdrop, imagine explaining to a person from 2013 how the Harvey deal went down . . .

2013: So, wait, you’re telling me, Harvey and Dilson Herrera are both members of the Reds organization? What did we get for them?  Joey Votto?

2018: Well, no . . .

2013: So wait, tell me which Reds are members of the Mets now.

2018: The Mets have Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, and Devin Mesoraco, but . . .

2013: Wait, the Mets have Frazier, Wright, Ike Davis, and Lucas Duda?

2018: Well, no, not exactly.

2013: I’m guessing Davis never got over the Valley Fever.

2018: While I’m not sure if it was Valley Fever, Davis is no longer in the majors.  In fact, he’s trying to pitch now.

2013: PITCH?!?!?!

2018: Yup.

2013: And I’m guessing despite the team shoving him down our throats, I’m assuming Duda never panned out.

2018: Actually, he became a 30 home run hitter.

2013: Really, so if that’s the case, why are the Mets looking to move him off first?  Do they really think he can play the outfield?  He was dreadful out there.

2018: No, no, no, no.  Duda signed as a free agent with the Royals.

2013: Ok, so the Mets got Frazier to play first.

2018: No, they signed him to play third.

2013: So, Wright is playing first.

2018: About that . . .

2013: Francesca always yammered on and on about how he belongs at third because of his arm.  Honestly, I can’t believe the Mets listened to that blowhard.  Speaking of which, I’m sure he gloated about that for at least a week.

2018: Believe it or not, Francesca was retired when the Mets got Frazier.

2013: SERIOUSLY!

2018: Yup.

2013: With Francesca retired, who is now on during the drive home?

2018: It’s a long story, but it’s Francesa.  He unretired.

2013: Of course he did.  And he’s probably telling us all the time how Wright shouldn’t be compared to Derek Jeter because Wright hasn’t won, and Jeter does everything perfect.

2018: Believe it or not, Jeter owns the Marlins.

2013: Like, he’s still playing, and he won the World Series MVP?

2018: No, he’s actually a part owner of the Marlins.

2013: The media must love him and the Marlins now.

2018: People think Jeter is a prick now.  He fired a cancer patient while he was in the hospital.

2013:  SERIOUSLY!

2018: Oh yeah, he’s alienated everyone, including their biggest fan, Marlins Man.

2013: What’s a Marlins Man?

2018: It’s this guy who goes across the country sitting behind home plate of every nationally televised game while wearing an orange Marlins jersey.

2013:  That’s a thing?

2018: For a while now.

2013: So let me get this straight.  In the future, Jeter owns the Marlins.  Francesca pretends to be Brett Favre.  There is some guy who is a celebrity because he’s rich and wears an orange Marlins jersey, and the Mets displaced Wright in favor of Frazier.

2018: I hate to tell you this, but Wright’s career is done.

2013: With the Mets?  I knew the Wilpons wouldn’t pay him.  Where did he go?  Please don’t tell me he’s a Yankee.

2018: No, Wright’s baseball career.  It’s over.

2013:  Shut up.  He would be just, what, 34?

2018: He’s 35.

2013: So, what?  He’s the Mets Don Mattingly?

2018: Yes.

2013: No.

2018:   He is.  Back in 2015, when the Mets went to the World Series

2013: THE METS WENT TO THE WORLD SERIES?!?!?!?!?

2018: They did.

2013: Wow, Terry Collins must’ve really turned things around with better players.

2018: Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here.

2013: Sorry, you were saying about Wright.

2018: Anyway, Wright was diagnosed with spinal stenosis.  He was actually able to play in the World Series, but after that point his career was essentially over.

2013: That’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard.

2018: Well, it gets worse.

2013: How could it get worse?

2018: Well aside from the Mets losing the 2015 World Series –

2013: Oh, they lost?  To who?

2018: The Royals.

2013:  HOW!  THEY ALWAYS SUCK!

2018: Well, for two years they didn’t, and they were helped along by some really bad decisions by Collins in that World Series, including leaving Harvey out too long.

2013: Let me guess.  Hurt again.

2018: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, but not because of that.  At least, I don’t think.

2013: Thor – what?

2018: No, not Noah Syndergaard.  Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

2013: Wait, Syndergaard calls himself Thor.

2018: Yeah, and he picks fights with Mr. Met on Twitter.

2013: I thought Mr. Met doesn’t talk.

2018: Yeah, it’s this whole thing.  You know what.  Nevermind, it’s even dumber when you explain it.

2013: Fine, what’s the deal with Harvey again?

2018: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  At best it’s a shoulder condition that changes your career.  For some, it ends it.  Remember Josh Beckett?

2013: Yeah, he was bad last year.

2018: That’s why.

2013: So wait, the Mets went to a World Series with an injured Harvey and Wright?

2018: Well, Harvey wasn’t injured yet.

2013: But now he is.  Well, I got to give it to Sandy.  He was able to turn Harvey and Herrera into Bruce, Frazier, and Mesoraco, who was a promising catcher.

2018: Well, the Mets did use Herrera to get Bruce.  Frazier was a free agent, and the Mets used Harvey to get Mesoraco.

2013: Wow, that was one first round draft pick which really must’ve worked out for the Reds.  You’d hope for more for Harvey, but still, you have to give Sandy credit for getting a young impressive catcher for Harvey before Harvey broke down.

2018: Oh, Mesoraco is broken down himself.  He’s had shoulder and hip issues.  He can’t play everyday, and he’s been hovering around the Mendoza line for years.

2013: So, let me get this straight.

2018: Go ahead.

2013:  Wright is broken.  Harvey is broken.  They also got Mesoraco, who is also broken. Ike is both broken and a  pitcher.

2018: Pretty much.

2013: Well, I guess with the Mets still making the World Series in 2015, Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero must’ve panned out, so I guess there is at least some positives.

2018: You know what?  I think that’s enough for right now.

14 Replies to “Explaining Harvey Trade To A 2013 Mets Fan”

  1. Steven says:

    2013: So I imagine if they went to the World Series, Jonathan Niese must have finally turned into an ace and Dillon Gee a real workhorse, a Bobby Ojeda. And they probably made some clever trades of mid-level prospects like Jacob DeGrom. And at lest Jeter has a core with Stanton and Jose Fernandez to build with.

    1. metsdaddy says:

      Great point

    2. Five Tool Ownership says:

      METS MINOR LEAGUE VIEWPOINT – May 12th, 2018 —

      Las Vegas 51s — AAA
      -Dom Smith 25 runs score in 31 games

      Binghamton Rumble Ponies — AA
      -Jeff McNeil scoring one run per game and OPS over 1000
      -Peter Alonzo 17 extra base hits in 33 games
      -Tyler Bashlor – under 1.50 ERA – WHIP near one —

      St Lucie Mets —
      -Andres Gimenez — 9 SB
      -Anthony Dimimo DH SB – 6 CS 0
      -Matt Pobereyko & Matt Blackham older prospects doing quite well

      Columbia Fireflies — mid A ball —
      Scott Manea, Jeremy Vasquez and David Peterson out of the gate strong

      1. metsdaddy says:

        This stuff is very well covered on metsminors.net

  2. Five Tool Ownership says:

    Dilson Herrara was acquired for a washed up steroid user in his walk year…
    He was traded for Bruce… Bruce did get a few RBIs in the clutch THAT DAVID WRIGHT never did ALWAYS LOOKING TO SWING FOR GLORY (1/10 the clutch hitter Jeter was in the regular season and .o2% the hitterin the clutch of Jeter in the post season)

    YOU PREFER THE HORRENDOUS JOEY VOTTO CONTRACT?

    I proposed in early 2016 Harvey for Posley to a SF fan and he laughed!
    The deal we missed was trading David Wright in 2007!!!!!!!!!!!

    So Bruce was traded to Cleveland for prospects and came back to no lineup protection of that kid we signed from Pittsburgh

    The Mets had many prospects brought in before the poverty, them austerity, then penny pitching of the owners as they siphoned off money for their own greed

    Listen to David Einhorn about his negotiations with Saul Katz…

    THE DEPRESSION IS ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP – Golden Goose – THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS

    Who gave Sandy no money, less than KC to build anything including any player development outside of three players in seven years…

    IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO DO DUE DILIGENCE AND FORGET YOUR NINTH GRADE MINDSET?

    Msybe read something and NOT ONLY THE COMPETITION BLOGS?????

    https://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/royals-play-small-moneyball/

    read please….

    1. metsdaddy says:

      The point of this was how much everything has changed in 5 years.

      1. Five Tool Ownership says:

        The interpretations had no reality and cumulatively added up to …..!

        1. metsdaddy says:

          You’re right. A conversation predicated upon the ability to communicate with someone from a different point in time has no reality.

          Thank you for pointing that necessary point out.

          1. Five Tool Ownership says:

            How do you say “Kansas City Royals” as if they are so inferior from 2013-2015?

            We are in the early 1990s?

            Maybe, in 2013 people saw them as impossible to ever win it but they won 86 games, had a great young roster and small market teams are forced to find advantage where there is little payroll.

            The Marlins won it twice and the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees less than a decade before, how far fetched?

            KC has 50% more population than St Louis….

            It was just the tone, it felt like sour grapes, like you were ripped off, the throwing out the names of Dilson and Niese it was not the informed conversation within your post I come to expect.

            It just irritated me and I guess I have latent build up of disappointment in you for expecting so far more than whst I see the reality of this organization, the roster and what SA has to do to get players.

            Tne Wilpons are mot only feeling burned with Jason Bay, they have remorse over Wright’s deal despite 75% covered by insurances and worse the annual money to Bonilla.

            So I read you reacting to losses in a emotional way, that evening, not sleeping on it and it seems to sound like a mild devastation, picking on bringing jp Oswalt on three days rest vs 2.0 WHIP Flexen on four. Harvey as the scapegoat….

            I know you write beautifully, recap the games so well, even your over chst on pitch framing is competent, informed, non emotional and you will review the stats on that one.

            I guess I expect a lot out of you…

            Ask yourself — if there was an injury on Wash, Red Sox, Yanks, AZ, Houston, Cubs — what Met on the 25 or 49 man roster can step in and make a contribution in any role during the playoffs?

            Ramos pitching the sixth?
            Bruce batting cleanup?
            Frazier batting fifth?
            Blevins as the sole lefty?
            Matz starting game four?
            Wilmer foelding third or first, Gonzalez’s range at first?
            Sewald pitching the seventh?
            Lugo or Gsellman pitching ectra innings or the eighth?

            Who has done it before, who has not peaked yet where we can see possible big improvement?

            What has Rosario done at 22 and on a double switch bringing in Reyes and Reyes’s off the cliff OBP?

            Has Noah ever won 15 games?

            de Grom is not an iron man, has he gotten hurt every two years?

            Does Familia just sometimes get nervous and just gives up 2-4 runs…?

            Would the Rockies see Familia as the man they want in the NLCS as their closer?

            What did Cespesdes do in the 2015 playoffs?

            So when you get so down I wonder what you see in this ownership, this farm system and over thirty roster components… let alone not desired by the playoff teams even off waivers..

          2. metsdaddy says:

            The Royals lost 90 plus games for a number of years prior to 2013.

            Again, the overriding point was just how absurd it was that things changed that much over the course of the last five years.

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