Angels Designate Struggling Matt Harvey for Assignment
By Jerry Trotta
It would appear that sunny Los Angeles was not the location for Matt Harvey to embody his former Dark Knight nickname and fame.
After a string of brutal outings, the Angels have reportedly designated the former All-Star for assignment.
The #angels have designated Matt Harvey for assignment
— Maria Torres (@maria_torres3) July 19, 2019
The less than shocking move comes less than 24 hours after Harvey's implosion against the Astros on Thursday. The former Mets ace allowed 6 runs in 6 innings of work, falling to 3-5 on the year.
It was the sixth time in 12 starts that the 30-year-old right-hander allowed five or more runs to close the plate. Additionally, Harvey's 7.09 ERA ranks as the third highest in all of baseball among hurlers that have made 12 appearances on the mound in 2019.
The Angels' offseason acquisitions continue to disappoint, having already designated Cody Allen for assignment and moving Trevor Cahill to the bullpen.
#Angels DFA Matt Harvey.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 19, 2019
Their three big winter FA pitcher signings; Harvey ($11 million) DFA, Cody Allen ($8.5 million) DFA, Trevor Cahill ($9 million) moved to bullpen. That's $28.5 million for basically no return.
We're just surprised that the Angels kept giving the ball to the former Met for as long as they did. Not only has he been significantly erratic, but he's also unreliable as any starter in terms of health and availability.
It truly remains to be seen if another big league club is willing to take a chance on the former superstar.