We’ve gone down the Noah Syndergaard before, but it’s even more relevant now that an ESPN baseball writer thinks the Twins would be wise to do whatever they can to get the Mets right-hander.
Syndergaard, better known as Thor to many baseball fans, is a flame-throwing starting pitcher who would almost immediately give the Twins one of the best 1-2 punches in the big leagues when paired with All-Star Jose Berrios.
No disrespect to Jake Odorizzi, who was also an All-Star, but Syndegaard’s track record is a bit better, and ESPN’s David Schoenfield thinks Minnesota should offer New York top prospects to get him before the July 31 trade deadline.
“Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have focused on small, cost-efficient moves during their tenure running the Twins. Now it’s time to think big. If the Mets make Syndergaard available, he’s a great fit for Minnesota — for 2019 and beyond, since starters Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and Michael Pineda are all free agents at season’s end. They’d probably have to part with top prospect Royce Lewis or outfielder Alex Kirilloff and a pitcher like Brusdar Graterol or Jordan Balazovic, but Syndergaard could be a beast away from the circus in Queens. Plus, as they say, flags fly forever.”
Syndergaard vitals:
- Age: 26
- Height: 6’6”
- Weight: 240
- Record: 7-4
- ERA: 4.55
- WHIP: 1.24
- Innings: 112.2
- Strikeouts: 110
- Walks: 30
Nothing pops off the page with those numbers, but we are in the new juiced ball era and he’s pitching with one of the worst defenses in baseball behind him. It’s damn near a guarantee that his ERA and WHIP would be lower with the Twins’ defense behind him.
Plus, he’s throws big-time heat. Syndergaard’s fastball averages 98.2 mph while his sinker is just as hard at 98.0 mph. Then he mixes in a changeup (91.3 mph), slider (89.1 mph) and a big curveball that comes in at an average of 80.3 mph.
Is he actually available? According to the New York Post, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen recently said that he expects Syndegaard to remain a Met this season. It makes sense because they’d be selling low on a dominating pitcher who is young and under team control through 2021.
But it’s that team control that is likely attractive to the Twins and any other team interested in Syndegaard. And that team control drives up the price, possibly to the level of a Royce Lewis or Alex Kirilloff, the top two prospects in Minnesota’s deep farm system, plus other prospects.
Minnesota could definitely use another high-end starter for the playoffs, but it’s arguably more pressing that they add a high-end right-handed reliever to the back of the bullpen to pair with Taylor Rogers.
The MLB trade deadline strikes the afternoon of July 31.
