Yankees have “zero interest” in trading for Matt Harvey

The Yankees are keeping their finger on the pulse of the starting pitching market as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. They have already ruled out one option, however, as Andy Martino reports the team has “zero interest” in a deal for Matt Harvey.

The right-hander has had a roller coaster of a season, splitting his time between the Mets and the Reds. While his season numbers don’t inspire much confidence — a 5.13 ERA with a 4.94 FIP — he’s pitched mostly better of late. He has a 4.68 ERA (4.72 FIP) in July, but that number gets inflated because of a clunker against the Pirates. Harvey got shellacked to the tune of eight runs over 3.2 innings.

Harvey, 29, has steadily gained velocity since arriving in Cincinnati. He’s also inching further and further away from his 2016 thoracic outlet surgery, a procedure that generally has had dubious results for pitchers.

Even after acquiring J.A. Happ, the Yankees could still use rotation help. Luis Severino has sputtered of late, while CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray cannot be counted on for length. Masahiro Tanaka, meanwhile, remains a wild card. Adding a starter makes a lot of sense. But for reasons on and off the field, New York doesn’t seem to be a landing spot for Harvey.

There’s less than 24 hours to go before the deadline, so we’ll see if the Yankees make another deal to bolster the starting staff. And while Kunj recommended the move earlier this month, don’t hold your breath.