Angels Updated Pitching Rotation, Payroll After Reported Noah Syndergaard Contract

Noah Syndergaard is going to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels in 2022. 

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Angels will sign Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million deal.

Per Spotrac, Los Angeles' 2022 payroll currently stands at $139.89 million. That figure is an estimate based on estimates for arbitration-eligible players and pre-arbitration players. 

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Angels Projected Pitching Rotation

No. 1: Shohei Ohtani 

No. 2: Noah Syndergaard

No. 3: Patrick Sandoval 

No. 4: Jose Suarez

No. 5: Jaime Barria

Syndergaard avoided arbitration with the Mets in January 2020 when he signed a one-year, $9.7 million contract. He missed the entire 2020 season following Tommy John surgery that March,

The 29-year-old is capable of dominating when healthy, but in 2019, he had a career-worst 4.28 ERA along with 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 32 starts. He only appeared in two games at the end of last season. 

The 6'6" right-hander experienced elbow discomfort during a rehab start on May 25, leading the Mets to shut him down for six weeks because of inflammation. 

The Angels are taking a huge swing by signing Syndergaard with his value seemingly at its lowest point. Thor is one of the best pitchers in MLB at his peak. He finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting in 2016 (his lone All-Star season) with a 2.60 ERA and 218 strikeouts in 183.2 innings. 

They desperately needed to add high-level starting pitching if they hope to compete for a playoff spot in 2022. 

Ohtani was the only pitcher on the roster last season who threw at least 100 innings. The Angels ranked 22nd in starter's ERA (4.78) and 26th in MLB in innings pitched from their starters (776.1). 

Alex Cobb, Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney were all eligible for free agency this offseason. Heaney wasted no time securing a one-year, $8.5 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday

Sandoval showed promise last season with a 3.62 ERA in 17 appearances (14 starts). If he can replicate that performance with Ohtani, the Angels will have the start of a solid rotation to build around. 

Syndergaard is very much a boom-or-bust play for the franchise at this point, but the upside is so high that they are only risking one year of his salary. 

As long as Syndergaard isn't the only play the Angels make to boost their rotation, this is a smart move for the organization coming off six consecutive losing seasons.