Scott Boras says Mets handling of Matt Harvey 'paid dividends for everybody'

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Wednesday was the annual yet completely unofficial Scott Boras Day at the general managers' meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. Members of the media were treated to the super agent's version of the State of MLB address, which basically consisted of the usual shilling and posturing for the greater good of himself and his clients.
That is his job, after all, so one can't complain too loudly. Besides, if cameras and microphones are going to be shoved in his face every year, he might as well put on a show.
Among the topics discussed this year were the health of Stephen Strasburg, the future of Jose Fernandez with the Miami Marlins and, you guessed it, Matt Harvey's workload.
[Related:*Stephen Strasburg had growth removed from back following season]
Of note on the latter topic, Boras says he walked away from the season happy with how the New York Mets managed Harvey, saying their decisions 'paid dividends for everybody.' That's a sentiment that didn't seem at all possible when the sides were allegedly at odds about it in late August.
From Newsday:

"For Matt to perform at the level he performed, knowing what he went through, I think certainly the Mets' plan in September paid dividends for everybody,'' Boras said on Wednesday.
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Boras struck a far different tone than he did in late August, when he said Harvey's surgeon, James Andrews, mandated a hard cap of 180 innings. Boras expressed concerns about injury risk should he pass the limit. Harvey initially was noncommittal when asked about his availability for the postseason but later changed his tune.
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At first it sounded like Harvey would adhere to the strict 180-inning limit, which obviously wasn't going to fly with the Mets seeing as his inning count at that point was pushing 170. Then Harvey himself weighed in and wavered a bit on the total, before committing to pitching into the postseason, regardless of the workload.
It was dramatic, confusing and seemingly contentious, but Boras worked hard to dismiss that notion on Wednesday, instead presenting it as a plan that came together smoothly.

"The key thing here was once it hit mid-August, everyone knew that the Mets had a great opportunity to be in the playoffs,'' Boras said. "And we wanted to structure a plan where he could pitch effectively.''
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"In the media they said it was contentious,'' he added. "For us, we had a meeting and I think there was a misunderstanding where Matt never, ever said anything about not throwing in the playoffs.''
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Only a handful of people know the details of those discussions. Given how frequently the stories changed throughout, it's possible nobody involved remembers the entire true story from beginning to end.*
What we do know with*certainty is that Harvey looked fresh and dominant over his final seven starts, which included four starts in the postseason. We also know he ended up throwing*216 total innings on the season. A number that far exceeds the initial limit, and might set Boras up for another reverse course next season should something unforeseen go wrong.*
In other words, take Boras for his word right now, but also take it with a grain of salt and save it for later.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813