Lately, Matt Harvey‘s been in more magazines than Gwenyth Paltrow.

His latest appearance on the periodical shelf comes in an issue of Men’s Journal. Here’s a snippet of what he had to say:

On waiting to buy a Manhattan apartment: “No matter what, New York is now my home. I could buy a place now, but I’ve gotta wait for that $200 million contract. If I’m going to buy an apartment, it has to be the best apartment in the city.”

On his social life philosophy: “I have a 48-hour rule. No drinking two days before a start. But those other days? Yes, I’m gonna go out. If I was locked up in my house all week, I don’t know what I’d be like on the baseball field.”

On living in the East Village: “I’m young, I’m single. I want to be in the mix.”

On Derek Jeter: “That guy is the model. I mean, first off, let’s just look at the women he’s dated. Obviously, he goes out — he’s meeting these girls somewhere — but you never hear about it. That’s where I want to be.”

On being a savior: “I love the idea of coming into a struggling franchise and seeing if I can help them win. First off, I hate to lose. At anything. Secondly, who doesn’t want to be the guy to help turn something around?”

It’s great that Harvey is getting PR, and I’m sure the Mets’ PR department either has something to do with it, or has given him their blessing. New York is all about celebrity – and Harvey (by far) isn’t the first Met or Yankee to appear in a magazine.

But I’d prefer it if he exhibited more of a businesslike demeanor. It’s possible that all of these off-the-field endeavors will turn into distractions if he goes through tough times on the mound. After all, the sports media loves to build up young stars, only to bring them down (see: Johnny Manziel).

Mets blogger (and USA Today writer) Ted Berg has a section of his site called “Embarrassing photos of Cole Hamels.” I wonder if a Phillies blogger is compiling the same of Matt Harvey?

Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe I’m just unwittingly becoming a curmudgeon as I slip into middle age. I’d just like to hear more of how he hates to lose, and wants to help turn the Mets around (the last quote listed above), and less about his dating life.

How do you feel about it? Like it? Don’t like it? Don’t care?

According to Wallace Matthews of ESPN-NY, Scott Hairston has decided he will play for either the Yankees or the Mets — and he’ll make his final decision within the next few days. What might be going into his decision?

In today’s episode of “Would You …?” we consider the unthinkable: trading a fan favorite and Cy Young Award winner to that despicable club on the other side of town. Would that be a nightmare or what?

Living in the New York-Metropolitan area, and listening to sports talk radio during a two-hour commute every day, it’s impossible to avoid the drama surrounding Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees right now. To me, it’s fascinating that the man who some consider the greatest baseball player of all-time is left out of the lineup in the postseason — and in his team’s elimination game no less! I understand that the Yankees have All-Stars at every position (including the bench), and that A-Rod is not looking like the player he once was, but still, his status and paycheck would suggest that his is the first name to be written into the lineup card (especially with Derek Jeter injured). I’m trying to draw a theoretical comparison to the Mets and falling woefully short. I guess it would like if the Mets were in the playoffs (ha!) right now and Terry Collins chose to bench David Wright. The last time I can remember a superstar of this magnitude being benched in the postseason was in 1977, when Billy Martin sat Reggie Jackson in Game 5 of the ALCS vs. the Royals. Times were different back then, of course. For example, although there were players who tried to get fans’ phone numbers in the middle of a game, beat writers wouldn’t report it as news.

Something tells me that this A-Rod situation is only beginning — especially if the Yankees are eliminated by the Tigers. Already there are rumors of trading A-Rod to the Marlins, which seems plausible considering Miami’s spending frenzy last winter and continued need to build a fan base. But Rodriguez carries with him another 5 years and over $110M — a staggering commitment, and especially egregious after looking at how much his health and production have suffered since admitting to taking steroids (hmmm …..). Will the Yankees trade him? Can anyone afford him? Will they pay some of his salary to get him out of New York? What kind of package of players can they get in return? Can A-Rod contribute to a championship club, or is it all about fannies in the seats?

What do you think? Are you paying attention to the Yankees drama? Do you find it entertaining? How do you think things will turn out with A-Rod? Post your notes in the comments.

Shhh! Don't tell anyone I'm about to get traded!

With one week remaining until the non-waiver trade deadline, let’s take a look at some of the notable transactions that have been made thus far.

Baltimore Orioles

The O’s picked up DH Jim Thome from the Phillies in exchange for C Gabriel Lino and RHP Kyle Simon.  They also received SS Omar Quintanilla from the Mets for cash.

These are two good moves for the Orioles.  The still-dangerous Thome fortifies their lineup, and it’s a good move for the 41 year-old as well.  Instead of biding his time on a National League bench, he gets to play more often with the AL club.  Quintanilla is a solid defensive shortstop and can handle the bat pretty well too.

What is the fundamental difference between rooting for the Yankees and supporting the Mets? Following is one real-life example coming “out of left field” (pardon the pun).

Today, Yankees fans are arguing over who between Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez should lose at-bats to Ichiro Suzuki, since all three play left field.

Meanwhile, Mets fans are waiting for the next report on Mike Baxter‘s rehab assignment in Binghamton.

Discuss …

Yankees 6 Mets 5

At least it wasn’t a sweep.

Yankees 4 Mets 3

Through the first two-thirds of the game, it looked like it might be an easy win for the Mets. But, we found out why you shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch.