Mets invite Harvey to major-league camp
North Carolina pitcher Matt Harvey was drafted No. 7 overall by the New York Mets. (June 4, 2010) Credit: AP
The Mets announced yesterday that they have invited top pitching prospect Matt Harvey to major-league camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. It's very likely more of a reward than it is a chance to win a major-league roster spot.
Harvey, the Mets' first-round pick (seventh overall) in 2010, enjoyed a successful first pro season, with 156 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings. He began the season with Class A St. Lucie before graduating to Double-A Binghamton.
He turns 23 in March, so he isn't too young to pitch at the highest level. Yet the Mets have brought along their young players more deliberately since Sandy Alderson took over as general manager.
The Mets also announced that outfielder Matt den Dekker, their fifth-round selection of the 2010 draft, would receive an invitation to major-league spring training. Dekker totaled 17 homers last year with St. Lucie and Binghamton.
