He's off limits

L OGAN Verrett started for the Mets on Monday night, which not long ago felt like it was going to be a big deal, but by game time against the Marlins felt as meaningful as the Washington Nationals playoff chances.

That Verrett started meant Matt Harvey did not, and before we came to peace that the Mets win pretty much every day (including 43 over the Marlins on Monday) and the Nationals, you know, don’t, the decision to skip Harvey was part of the larger issue involving just how much more — postseason included — the righty was going to pitch in 2015.

That gripped New York in passion and debate and probably will again. Just know if the Mets season ends without a parade, there almost certainly will be extrapolation that it all would have been “Canyon of Heroes, here we come” had Harvey just pitched regularly to stay his sharpest or been available to start more often in October/November. In other words, we are at a ceasefire now that is unlikely to hold.

For Harvey appears in the midst of shoving Alex Rodriguez aside to become New York’s most polarizing athlete.

Which is good for selling newspapers and enticing callers to sports talk radio, but it is no good if it begins to affect levelheaded decisionmaking by the club.

When Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras, stated recently his client should be capped at 180 innings (postseason included) and Harvey — after a season of John Wayneing it up — mostly concurred, it unleashed a media/public backlash for which I do not believe Boras or his client was prepared. One forceful narrative to emerge from that was a call to trade Harvey this offseason.

Which I think would be a mistake.

Look, we live more than ever in an overheated society, where instareaction is demanded — cool logic, be damned. So there were, for example, lots of calls for the Yankees to eat more than $60 million and not even let Rodriguez show up to spring training, an easy sentiment when it is not your money. Rodriguez is now the Yankees’ homer leader and — in most Bronx precincts — back in good graces.

When Masahiro Tanaka was placed on the DL with a forearm injury, there were screams to just get the Tommy John surgery despite doctors recommending against it. Always easier to cut into someone else’s body. Tanaka is now the Yankees’ lone dependable starter.

Take a deep breath, rid yourself of any anger about Harvey’s innings limit, and I think you would agree he is more valuable as a Met for the next three years than what could be received in return.

I have seen suggestions of trading him for, say, Boston’s Xander Bogaerts or Mookie Betts. But why would the Red Sox do that? They can simply keep both assets and buy a top starter.

In this moment it is far easier to find elite starters on the market than a highend shortstop or center fielder. Heck, David Price alone has been traded twice since July 2014 and will be a free agent this offseason along with Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto. Jon Lester was traded last year and was a free agent after that, along with Max Scherzer. There has not been near that quality/volume of center fielder or shortstop available.

So if the Red Sox are willing to deal Bogaerts, sure give them Harvey. Or the Dodgers Corey Seager or the Astros Carlos Correa. But none of that is likely. The one possibility could be the Cubs with Addison Russell if Chicago thinks Javier Baez can play shortstop for a contender next year. However, I doubt that, as well.

If the Mets cannot get exactly (and I mean exactly) what they want — probably a controllable shortstop — then just keep Harvey. His camp has exemplified that they are looking at longterm business, and the Mets should do the same. Just get the 90100 starts a healthy Harvey would deliver from 2016 to free agency after the 2018 season. Harvey has to pitch well and often to hit the freeagent mother lode, so the Mets will have a motivated pitcher.

That Harvey is a polarizing star is fine for business (ask the Yankees with ARod), as long as the organization can shrug and accept the hunger for attention, the penchant for missteps.

Sure, it seems the Mets have a surplus of starters from which to deal. But nothing vanishes quicker than a pitching surplus — the Nationals were supposed to cruise to the NL East title because of their bevy this season. Already, Mets’ prospect Michael Fulmer has been traded for Yoenis Cespedes and Rafael Montero is who knows what after his injuryfilled season. Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz are Tommy John survivors and good luck keeping Noah Syndergaard’s power game healthy.

Better to keep the strength of the team intact — Harvey included — unless a sweetheart deal comes along.

Block out the noise. Harvey is a superb pitcher. You only trade that if you win the deal, not because you are mad.