Hopeful that Harvey can be dealt
CINCINNATI — The phone rang early on Sunday morning and P.J. Conlon wanted none of it. The lefthander shut off his cell phone and went back to sleep. Then the hotel phone began to ring. Conlon had planned to sleep in that day, so he picked up the phone next to the bed and hung it right back up.
It rang again and Conlon was shaken out of his sleepy haze with the news he would be making his major league debut the next night in Cincinnati. Monday night, he was part of a wake-up call for the Mets as well.
After a dreadful homestand in which the Mets lost six straight, had to put Jacob deGrom on the disabled list and designated one-time ace Matt Harvey for assignment, the Mets needed something to break them out of their nightmare. Whether it was the excitement of a kid making his major-league debut, the fact they were coming into a small ballpark or were facing one of the worst teams in baseball, the Mets broke out of their own groggy haze Monday with a 7-6 win over the Reds at great American Ball Park.
“Awfully bad,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said of his team needing a night like Monday. “Obviously to come out swinging like we did, think we scored in four or five consecutive innings, was really good.”
The win snapped the six-game losing streak and was the first win in eight days for the Mets (18-15). The offense, which had scored just 11 runs and was shut out three times in six games, pounded 13 hits, including four home runs.
Adrian Gonzalez hit two solo home runs. Jay Bruce hit his third homer of the season and Michael Conforto snapped a 74 at-bat home run drought, leading off the game with one to left field.
Seeing Conforto put one into the left-field seats was an emotional lift for the lineup.
“We definitely didn’t do enough to give us a chance to win any of those games. You come here, you kind of change the setting a little bit. Even
CINCINNATI — The Mets are surprisingly optimistic that they can find a partner to complete a deal for Matt Harvey before the Friday deadline. The Giants, Reds, Rangers and Mariners have all reportedly shown some interest in the righthander who was designated for assignment on Saturday.
Nothing was close as of Monday night, however, according to multiple sources.
A National League source said the Giants’ interest was “stronger” than others after they lost Johnny Cueto for six weeks. A team source also confirmed that the Reds have expressed some interest.
But, industry sources said that the Mets cannot expect to get much in return for Harvey, who they designated for assignment on Friday after he refused a minor league assignment. They have seven days to work out a trade before he becomes a free agent.
MLB Network reported that the Texas though we love being at home, love being in front of our fans. Maybe we were trying too hard because of that,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s one of those things just come out, to have Conforto getting us going, lead off homer, it was more about that, than it was about being in different setting.
“We could breathe a little bit and take a step back right away.”
There is also an extra energy in a clubhouse when a rookie is making his debut. Conlon, who is the first player born in Ireland or Northern Ireland to pitch in the majors in 73 years, brought that and more. With about 19 friends and family in the stands waving the Irish flag at the Great American Ball Park, the Belfast-born Conlon almost single-handedly brought life to the nearly empty ballpark.
He allowed three runs on four hits in 3.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one. He also got his first major league hit and scored a run. That ended up costing him a major league win as he jammed his thumb on the hit. He struggled to feel the ball with his thumb in the fourth, gave up three doubles and was taken out.
But, Conlon’s debut was bigger than the Mets’ losing streak, the injury to their ace and the messy end of the Matt Harvey era. Irish-Americans were reading about him on IrishTimes.com and the Belfast Telegraph had a story on Conlon breaking the 109-year drought since one of their city’s native sons played in the big leagues.
Though he left Northern Ireland as a toddler, he recognized that it was a moment not just for him.
“It’s huge. I’ve gotten unbelievable support,” Conlon said. “All these people reaching out to me yesterday and today. It means alot. You can see them in the stands waving the Irish flag. They are proud of it, I am proud of it. Irish flag on my glove. Definitely important to me.”
On Monday Conlon not only made some history, he gave the Mets a wake-up call from that nightmare that was last week. Rangers have shown “mild trade interest” in Harvey, which is likely supported by Dan Warthen, the former Mets pitching coach who joined the Rangers as an assistant pitching coach before this season.
The Mets had brief trade talks with the Rangers at the winter meetings regarding Harvey, but those never materialized. While interviewing with other teams this offseason, Warthen tried to encourage front offices to trade for Harvey, who was moved the bullpen after a miserable start to 2018 as a starter.
Warthen coached Harvey from 2012-17 and aided in some of the righthander’s best seasons.
At the moment, Harvey is still owed the bulk of his $5.625 million 2018 salary and the Mets would have to pay the bulk of that salary in order to get anything back in a trade. Team sources said they would consider that.
Harvey went 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight appearances, four of them starts, with the Mets this season before the unceremonious divorce.