Rich Dubroff

Orioles set to sign Matt Harvey to minor league deal

 

The Orioles are signing right-hander Matt Harvey to a minor league contract, pending a physical, according to an industry source.

Harvey, who has a 44-52 record and a 4.52 earned-run average, has pitched for four different teams in the last four years.

The news was first reported by Jon Heyman.

After spending his first six seasons with the New York Mets, Harvey has pitched for Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City.

Last season, Harvey was 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA in seven games with the Royals.

Harvey’s addition would give the Orioles an additional candidate for the starting rotation. In the last two weeks, the team has given minor league deals to veteran right-hander Felix Hernández and left-hander Wade LeBlanc.

Pitchers and catchers begin working out on Wednesday in Sarasota, Florida.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

View Comments

  • Hey, why not? Since he’s already on the payroll, let’s see if Jim Palmer has anything left in the tank too

    • Yep, said that awhile ago, bring back Moose as well, maybe he’ll show a lil something & they’ll get another cabana boy or two, lol...go O’s...

  • C'mon Mikey. Really? What do all the Elias lemmings think of this one?

    Go ahead ... 'Splain it to me Lucy.

    • It’s a minor league signing. If Harvey has nothing left, as I suspect, they release him. Contract not guaranteed, Orioles aren’t out anything. If he can regain his form, he gives the Orioles innings until the prospects are ready. Teams sign pitchers to minor league contracts all the time. Tampa Bay signed David Hess. Yankees signed Wojo. Low risk signing

    • Hess was horrible, but TB will make a world beater out of him, O’s just can’t seem to develop pitchers...go O’s...

    • Easy Phil, don’t know of anyone that’s had anything positive to say about Hess, his stats pretty much say what’s needed, unless maybe you’re family, then I would understand...go O’s...

      • CalPals, you were the one that said Tampa Bay would make him a world beater. TB dome and their defense will aid any pitcher. OPACY and the Os less than adequate defense hurt Hess and all pitchers. There is not a MLB pitcher who will join the Os one a 1year deal. With the youngens, as you like to call them, Coming on, I wouldn't want to sign one to a multi year. Hess is a lottery ticket, just like Harvey. That's all I am saying.

    • TB has shown they can develop players, I’m an O’s fan for over 50 yrs, they last 30, unless your names Ripken, they were pretty established, Manny was home grown, but you gotta pay up today for talent & to keep your talent, they’ve shown, especially recently, they won’t pay...sux, but that’s how Mikey rolls...go O’s...

  • Boy if we could have the king Felix and dark knight from 6 to 7 years ago we would have a great rotation instead we have two guys with dead arms who are finished . Elias is going fishing it’s pretty pathetic

  • I’m guessing a few of you with your vast MLB GM experience can enlighten us with your vast knowledge. It’s a minor league deal. If he can’t cut, the O’s are out nothing. Give it a rest .

    • Actually I’ve won as many AL East titles, pennants & WS as Mikey, so I guess I’m qualified...LOL...go O’s...

  • Here's an idea from this old "GM wannbe" ...

    How about signing a pitcher that might improve the rotation or even simply have a chance of making the team? Maybe instead of signing a bunch of bums ... why not keep your best starter from last year?

    And I assure you, no vast GM experience was needed to think of either of these crazy talk ideas.

    • Totally agree, Mikeys vast GM experience has been dismantling the O’s & trying to get the #1 pick...go O’s...

    • You guys are shortsighted. The Os were shipping guys out in 2017 long before Elias took the reigns... this signing shouldn’t excite anyone or cause an uproar either. It’s simply signing a 31 year old arm that had previous success in the early 2010s. The birds are looking for cheap innings eaters to get the AAA guys experience at AAA. Remember they didn’t play at all last year!? Plus as stated by others, these are minor league contracts so if they don’t produce they can be cut. There’s nothing bad coming from this signing.

      • Nothing bad .. but nothing good is going to come out of it either. I for one, would like to see a good signing.

    • Agree, don’t see much of an upside to this signing, seems to be more aimed at placating the fan base than actually trying to win, unfortunately getting kind of used to it...go O’s...

    • Good signings are not in our budget or Mr Elias rebuild. So one more year of last place one more year of a high draft choice and in my opinion if this team is not sold things will never change no matter how many first draft picks we get

      • So long as good signings are not in their budget, then tickets, concessions, and merchandise will not be in ours. Plenty of actual big league baseball available for sale just 45 minutes down I-95.

    • The Harvey signing is similar to the Hernandez signing for me in that I think simply having veteran pitchers who had success, tremendous success in Hernandez case, in camp to help mentor the young guys is worth every penny they pay them. If they make the team and win a few games that’s a bonus. Pitching coaches are good but there’s nothing like having vets in camp explaining how to become successful that will be more beneficial to young pitchers.

    • DL, can’t argue the thought process for Hernandez, don’t think I’d want Harvey as a role model for the youngens though...go O’s...

    • Yeah, right. Cobb did not win a game at Camden Yards in three year zero. Tough ball park to pitch in especially with one dimensional players on defense. Of course we don't have any infielders because Dan couldn't sign any.

      • What? No infielders? Are you forgetting Ramon Urias? Oh I forgot ... Elias boys.

        And BTW... I think Dan was responsible for JJ, Manny and Schoop. Sure he was forced to sign Davis by Papa Bear....but then he also drafted Mancini didn't he?

        C'mon Phil ... get real.

  • Think Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, or CC Sabathia can be signed? If this happens, the birds will have managed to sign multiple all star starters in a single off season. The only catch is they likely can't find the plate and if they do it will come in the form of a 85-90 mph fast ball. With all joking aside, if the dark knight or king felix have a fluke year, the return for them at the deadline would be rather large. It might be worth the flyer if they can flip them for good prospects.

  • So this is rebuilding! Alex Cobb will win more games than Flex Hernandez, Matt Harvey, and Wade LeBlanc combined. Kicker is the Orioles are paying Cobb more in 2021 than Hernandez, Harvey, and LeBlanc combined.

    • I’m okay with a flyer on king Felix and the dark knight. If they pitch as good savvy vets(unlikely,but certainly possible) they could flip them at the deadline. Cobb for a top 10-15prospect is also okay. I am still a believer in the rebuild, but there should be serious prospect development and mlb development this yr or were sol.

  • Where's Dan when he is really needed? He's available. He could make the Os mediocre again. Bad baseball, no hope for the future, but hey they wouldn't tank. Oh wait, he put together the team with a big payroll and the worst performance in franchise history, 54 wins, unwarchable. That's what need.

    • I guess you forget the O's were a contender for about 5 years. What we need is to TANK. Tankers R Us" WOO HOO.

      Kiss some Elias Tushie Phil.

      • Gimme break. They were contender or 5 years... but Danny boy didn't put together the core, he rode McPhail's coattails. He is the genius that traded Strop and Arrieta for Feldman - where is Feldman when you need him - he could have been that veteran leadership you love.

      • Beginning to think you two are Dan and Buck. I am not Elias. I don't agree with several of his moves. Just not a hater like some appear to be.

        • I don't hate Elias. I'm hoping he does well in the long run. I have no reason to think he won't. ... but he's shortchanging the current team and it's fanbase by tanking, not to mention some of us consider it totally unethical. Hell, the NBA changed it's draft process because of it. It's just wrong.

          I thought he'd be done with it by now, but everything he does points to not giving one iota about winning now. These boys need to learn to win and he's hamstringing the team and the coaching staff. And if it's all really Angelos...which I have no doubt it may be, he should have never told us that he had full autonomy to run the club.

  • Not offended, but the continued ridicule (e.g. Mikey) of every move gets tiresome. The guy has had one legitimate season, one full draft and a partial season, partial draft, and no minor league season to develop players. It seems a number of commenters here give Dan D a pass for putting together a high payroll MLB team that over the final year and a half was the worst performing established team in MLB history. D D mortgaged the future doing it. The core of the winning Os teams were put together by McPhail.

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Rich Dubroff

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