New York Mets: Three ways the Amazins can hijack the MLB Trade Deadline

Trade Syndergaard

For the second consecutive year, Noah Syndergaard‘s name has been surfacing in trade rumors. This is always going to happen when the Mets are as bad as they are but have a starting pitching core as good as it is.

So, I will start by saying this, and I think trading away Syndergaard, with multiple years of control left, would be a million steps back by this franchise. I understand Syndergaard’s hype is still mostly based on what he should be and not what he actually is, but there is still time for him.

We saw Syndergaard peak in the World Series when the stage was big and flounder the last few seasons with nothing on the line. His sample size is pretty fair, and something is there.

Are his recent off-years and injury problems the Mets’ fault? I would not be surprised. But are the Mets trading for him and allowing him to once be an All-Star and the starter of a Wild Card playoff game also because of the Mets? Yes, they turned a Cy Young winner into Syndergaard, who was supposed to have one by now.

Sure, Jacob deGrom being Jacob deGrom made Syndergaard get put on the back burner a little bit, but on most teams, he has the stuff of a true ace, it was just last season he started Opening Day, teams know this.

So, if the Mets truly wanted to hijack the trade deadline, or at least get actual traction on a rebuild and restocking their prospect pool, then this is the move the make. Any contending team or team with aspirations of becoming contenders getting Syndergaard would be the biggest story in baseball.

The rumor is that the return on Syndergaard would have to be so impressive that the Mets cannot say no. And with the list of capable playoff pitchers who have been there before ending in Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman this deadline, a team might give up their farm for Syndergaard.

The Mets can turn mere rumors and speculations into an impressive reality.

I would still rather see the Mets try to make Syndergaard their closer before they give up on him as a starter. I would instead them move him to the bullpen to see how it goes before they trade him. There is too much potential there to give up on him now.

But he would be the player on this team that would garner the most actual return. He’s young, cheap, has multiple years of control, and we know how high his ceiling is.

I don’t think the Mets will trade Syndergaard, he is the furthest thing from the problem this year, but if the Mets want to do something big, like hijack the deadline big, actually going through with trading Syndergaard would do it.