Source: Scott Boras takes out insurance policy on client Matt Harvey

ByDarren Rovell ESPN logo
Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Matt Harvey's agent Scott Boras has secured an insurance policy for his client that would protect the New York Mets pitcher if he suffers any injury that results in a loss of value for his next contract, or in the case of a career-ending injury, a source confirmed to ESPN.

How much Harvey is insured for is unknown.

As first reported by CBSSports.com, Boras negotiated the policy toward the end of the regular season as tensions rose with the Mets over how many innings Harvey, who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in October 2013, would pitch.

Another Boras client, Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, was willingly shut down by the team in the season after his Tommy John surgery, but Harvey was not.

The public back-and-forth between doctors, Boras and the Mets resulted in Harvey missing some starts in September. But thanks to the Mets' postseason run, the 26-year-old has logged 202 innings, the fifth most innings for a pitcher coming off the Tommy John procedure. If the Mets play in the World Series, Harvey could pass the all-time record of 215 1/3 innings owned by John Lackey.

Harvey, who the Mets took in the first round of the 2010 draft, is making $614,125 this season. He is eligible for arbitration this offseason, but Boras has a lot to protect in that he isn't a free agent until 2018.

Harvey's insurance comes without any exclusions, meaning that if he re-injures his right elbow and gets a lower offer or can't pitch again, he is still covered. Most insurance policies exclude pre-existing injuries, but Boras can get a more favorable deal thanks to his previous experience in the marketplace.

In March 2014, after his client Max Scherzer turned down a $144 million deal from the Detroit Tigers, Boras took out an insurance policy that would have given Scherzer a tax-free $40 million if he suffered an injury that affected his ability to get that $144 million. Scherzer later revealed the policy, which he wound up not needing because he stayed healthy and ultimately signed a deal with the Washington Nationals for $210 million, cost him $750,000.

While it's doubtful that Harvey's full free-agent value is protected by the policy, the insurance does give Harvey -- and Boras, for that matter -- peace of mind.

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