Report: Mets willing to eat big chunk of Harvey's salary for better trade return

The New York Mets are hopeful they can find a trade partner for Matt Harvey, and they're willing to pony up some dough to make it happen.

The Mets are apparently telling teams they're willing to eat a significant chunk of the $4.5 million in salary still owed to Harvey in order to get a better return for the pitcher, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, citing sources.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced Friday that the struggling Harvey would be designated for assignment after he refused a minor-league demotion.

The Mets have seven days to trade Harvey, and if they can't find a partner, he'll become a free agent.

This season, Harvey struggled to an 0-2 record with a 7.00 ERA across eight appearances, including four starts. He was moved to the bullpen by Mets skipper Mickey Callaway on April 21 and was not impressive in four appearances, allowing seven earned runs across six innings.

The one-time All-Star, who was once considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, will end his Mets career with a 34-37 record and 3.66 ERA across 104 starts.