Noah Syndergaard Trade Rumors: Mets 'Seriously Listening' to Offers at Deadline

The New York Mets are likely going to be sellers at the July 31 deadline, and now they are "seriously listening" on deals for pitcher Noah Syndergaard, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

Olney also argued the team should trade closer Edwin Diaz and enter a full rebuild, which "would've made sense last winter."

New York had high hopes for this season, but the team is just 46-54 heading into Wednesday, tied for second-worst in the National League.

Syndergaard could be an exciting trade target thanks to his live arm and the fact he is under team control through the 2021 season.

The 26-year-old has proved he can be an elite pitcher early in his career, compiling a 2.93 ERA and 37-22 record across 87 appearances in his first four seasons in the majors. He was a key part of the team's run to the World Series in 2015 and an All-Star in 2016 while finishing in the top 10 of Cy Young voting.

An up-and-down 2019 has led to a 4.36 ERA—more than a run greater than his previous high of 3.24 as a rookie in 2015. He has 118 strikeouts in 119.2 innings, which would mark the first time he averaged fewer than one strikeout per inning.

He has seemingly turned things around since the All-Star break, allowing just three earned runs in 14 innings across two starts. He also has 17 strikeouts and just one walk in this stretch.

However, his inconsistency and questionable durability could be red flags that cause a team to hold off on a deal at a steep price. In 2017, Syndergaard missed almost five months with a partially torn lat muscle, making just seven starts.

A rival general manager joked that the Mets are looking for "a few arms and a leg," according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Either a team would be paying a premium for a pitcher who has struggled in 2019, or the Mets would be selling low on a top-tier talent. The same situation could occur if New York were to deal Diaz, who has a 4.81 ERA this year after producing a 1.96 ERA in 2018.

Front-office execs who remain interested will have some tough decisions to make before this month is over.