Phillies rumor: Matt Harvey an intriguing trade candidate

A division foe could be the Phillies next ace this offseason

Few pitchers have seen a more dramatic fall than Matt Harvey, and the Phillies could be beneficiaries of that in more ways than one. New York has spoken to at least two teams regarding Harvey, and the Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest.

With New York looking for middle infield help and the Phillies needing pitching, a rare inter-division trade could be pulled off involving The Dark Knight and Cesar Hernandez.

New York has been connected to Hernandez in their search for a long-term answer at second base. Hernandez has been a very consistent lead-off hitter in Philadelphia hitting .294 in each of his last two seasons. Any trade package involving Hernandez could potentially mirror the Dee Gordon deal between Miami and Seattle where the Mariners gave up multiple blue-chip prospects.

Considering the Phillies need for starting pitching the Mets are a clear trade partner if both sides are willing to make a deal within an unbalanced National League East.

One pitcher the Mets are reportedly interested in moving is Matt Harvey, who just three years ago was arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Despite missing all of the 2014 season with an elbow injury, Harvey had a 2.53 ERA from 2012-13 and 2015 with 449 strikeouts in 65 starts.

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Over the last two seasons, Harvey has dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome in his pitching shoulder and a stress fracture in his scapula. Concerns revolving around his late-night activities have made the Mets even more anxious to trade a pitcher they thought would lead them over the next 10 years.

A potential deal with Herandez and Harvey would be more than just that; New York would need to include multiple prospects. Considering Hernandez has three more years of team control and the deal would be within the division New York would have to fight with teams such as the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays for Hernandez.

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