Sandy Alderson says Mets will keep Matt Harvey based on Mickey Callaway’s recommendation

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson met with the media at the winter meetings in Orlando on Tuesday and said that the team intends to hold onto Matt Harvey this offseason despite reports that the former ace was being shopped around.

Moving Harvey could have helped the Mets improve in the bullpen or at second base, but Alderson said he’s taking his pitcher off the market based on a recommendation by new manager Mickey Callway and new pitching coach Dave Eiland.

It’s not very surprising that Callaway — a former pitching coach himself — and Eiland would advocate for Harvey. He’s shown incredible talent in the past before struggling with injuries and depleted velocity over the past two years. It makes sense that the two pitching experts would want to watch Harvey pitch up close and see if he can’t recapture some of what made him great.

It’s not as though Dan Warthen is chopped liver, though. The former Mets pitching coach helped develop Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard into stars and probably did all he could to help Harvey return to his brilliant ways.

Of course, health could also be a factor for Harvey, who has totaled exactly 92.2 innings in each of the last two seasons. Just being able to endure a full season is one way for Harvey to get his mojo back.

Alderson also made sure to voice his displeasure regarding the media’s constant pestering about New York’s payroll. It really ought to be a question for the team’s ownership, but Alderson is the highest ranking official that the media gets to see regularly, so it’s something he’s had to deal with over the years. Although the beleaguered GM has made it clear that he’s not going to rush into the free agent market if the value isn’t right, he’s going to face a lot of criticism if the Mets exit the winter meetings without making a big addition.