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Mets GM: Noah Syndergaard Trade Would Take 'Very Special Circumstances'
December 4, 2018
New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen suggested Tuesday that he isn't looking to trade starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, Van Wagenen said it would take "very special circumstances for us to even consider" trading Syndergaard.
The 26-year-old Syndergaard is sent to enter his fifth MLB season with the Mets in 2019.
Fancred's Jon Heyman reported last month that the Mets were "seriously considering" offers for Syndergaard, and he noted at least six teams were believed to be "real players" for his services.
After injuries limited Syndergaard to seven starts in 2017, a finger setback and a viral illness kept him to 25 starts in 2018. Even so, he put up impressive numbers, going 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, while striking out 155 batters over 154.1 innings.
Syndergaard's best season came in 2016 when he was named an All-Star and finished with a 14-9 record, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 218 strikeouts.
During his four-year MLB career, Syndergaard has gone 37-22 with a sparkling 2.93 ERA.
While Syndergaard took a back seat to Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom in New York's rotation last season, he was still highly effective.
The Mets' biggest problem in going 77-85 last year was their offense, as they ranked 29th in batting average, 23rd in runs scored and 21st in home runs.
New York took a step toward addressing those issues by acquiring second baseman Robinson Cano in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, which became official Monday. The Mets also added an elite closer in that deal in Edwin Diaz.
With deGrom, Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz, the Mets boast a young, talented rotation that can compete with almost any team in the NL.
Considering Syndergaard can't become a free agent until 2022, the Mets are under no pressure to deal him, and they may be best served to see if he can blossom into a Cy Young winner, much like deGrom did last season.