The New York Mets have the best starting rotation in baseball. Led by Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, the talented unit hopes to lead the team back to the World Series in 2016. Speculation regarding contract extensions for each of the team's starters has made headlines recently, but the Mets should only concern themselves with one - Harvey.
The right-hander has not rejected the notion of a long-term deal with the club, which means the Mets should begin exploring that option as soon as they can.
The 26-year-old is under club control through the 2018 season, but he's expected to be among the top free agents in another star-studded 2019 class. His agent, Scott Boras, will be certainly be on the hunt for a megadeal, but the Mets should, at the very least, talk to Harvey now and determine his stance on remaining with the team beyond his expected free-agent season.
After all, cashing in now, with Harvey just two years removed from Tommy John surgery, wouldn't be the worst decision he and Boras could make.
The former first-round draft pick will be the first of these Mets' pitchers to become a free agent, and he could be gone much sooner than deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz (Zack Wheeler will be a free agent one year after Harvey).
General manager Sandy Alderson said the Mets aren't talking long-term extensions with any of their young pitchers, but Harvey's current situation might lead the team to at least explore such possibilities with him.
"Harvey has said he is open to listening, and Boras said by phone that he encouraged offers because they are 'a great educational process for a player, whether he takes it or not,'" Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote.
"Harvey is due to be part of the great 2018-19 free agent class with fellow Boras clients Bryce Harper and Jose Fernandez, and Boras clients of this ilk almost always opt to let open bidding determine their value. Could Harvey be different? He loves living in Manhattan, seems to have a lifestyle that might necessitate cash now and has that Tommy John surgery to accentuate how fleeting this can be."
The soon-to-be 27-year-old is 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 449 strikeouts in 65 career starts with the Mets. After his innings-limit debacle with the team last season, it's unknown how strong Harvey's allegiance to the organization is and whether or not it's a place he wants to be long-term. He didn't publicly support the Mets at first when he spoke to the media about his limitations following Tommy John surgery, but Harvey apologized and vowed to pitch as much as possible during the team's playoff run.
It remains to be seen if the "Dark Knight" will rise again with the Mets following the 2018 season.