His 2017 season with the Mets was marred by injury, an embarrassing team-mandated, three-game suspension and poor results when he did take the mound, but Matt Harvey will be back in New York next year, as sources say the club will tender an offer to the arbitration-eligible pitcher.
The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is Friday at 8 p.m. Harvey would become a free agent if he was not offered a contract for 2018.
Harvey had a 5-7 record and sported a whopping 6.70 ERA in 18 starts this past season, but missed a large chunk of time after landing on the disabled list with a stress injury to his right scapula. The 28-year-old right-hander had surgery in 2016 for thoracic outlet syndrome and missed the second half of that season.
When Harvey did return from the DL Sept. 2 at Houston, he lasted just two innings and got shelled for seven runs on eight hits in the Mets' 12-8 loss to the eventual World Series champions. In a Sept. 18 start in Miami, Harvey got demolished for seven runs on 12 hits, including surrendering Giancarlo Stanton's 55th home run in the 13-1 Marlins victory.
"There is nothing to say," a dejected Harvey told reporters after that miserable outing at Marlins Park. "It's terrible, not fun, there is no reason for questions, there are no answers."
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said during a press conference late in the season that he favored "the idea of (Harvey) being back" in 2018.
Harvey made headlines earlier in the season when Alderson suspended the right-hander three games for conduct detrimental to the team. Harvey didn't report to a Saturday game and he reportedly blamed the absence on a migraine. He later apologized to the team and fans, but several reports had Harvey licking his wounds after he struck out with Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima.
Harvey made $5.12 million this past season, but the Mets probably wouldn't offer a figure much higher than that if they even match it. Harvey is represented by power agent Scott Boras, and the pitcher will join Nationals star and Boras client Bryce Harper in the star-studded free agent class after next season.
Other arbitration-eligible Mets include pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia; catcher Travis d'Arnaud; and infielder Wilmer Flores.
