OC Register: Angels agree to deal with Matt Harvey

[AngelsWin.com]

The Angels, who have dealt with a raft of pitching injuries over the past few years, are taking a chance on Matt Harvey, who has never lived up to his lofty potential because he’s sustained a series of injuries.

Harvey and the Angels agreed to a one-year deal worth $11 million, according to a source with knowledge of the agreement. He could earn up to $14 million, with incentives. It is pending a physical.

Harvey, 29, was one of baseball’s budding stars with the New York Mets in 2013, when he finished fourth in the Cy Young voting. After missing a season because of Tommy John surgery, he returned to again have a strong season in 2015.

Since then, though, Harvey has a 5.39 ERA in the past three seasons, averaging 113 innings per season, around the injuries.

Last season the Mets designated Harvey for assignment and traded him to the Cincinnati Reds, and he finished the season with a 4.50 ERA over 24 starts.

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Harvey could bolster an Angels rotation that currently is led by only two pitchers who have had even one full major league season: Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney. Skaggs and Heaney have also dealt with injuries over the past few seasons.

Harvey was originally drafted by the Angels out of high school in the third round in 2007, but they couldn’t reach an agreement and he went to the University of North Carolina. The Mets then picked him with the seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Harvey posted a 2.73 ERA in 10 games as a rookie in 2012, and in 2013 he earned an All-Star bid, on his way to a 2.27 ERA in 178-1/3 innings.

After Tommy John surgery, Harvey was still a solid member of the Mets rotation in 2015, helping the team to the World Series.

The next three seasons saw Harvey have surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome (in 2016) and for a fractured scapula (in 2017). He was also suspended at one point for violating team rules.

In 2018, Harvey was moved to the bullpen, and eventually, the Mets let him go.

More to come on this story.

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