Colorado Rockies: Noah Syndergaard trade could make sense

The New York Mets trading Noah Syndergaard to the Colorado Rockies? It could actually happen.

The Colorado Rockies have their best starting staff in their short history, but like any other team, the addition of Noah Syndergaard from the Mets would make them better.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the possible link, writing, “Don’t rule out the Rockies as a potential suitor for Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard. Infielder Brendan Rodgers likely would be untouchable, but the Rockies are deep in the type of young, major-league ready talent the Mets are seeking.“ The move would be unexpected given the strengths and weaknesses of this Rockies team and the conservative tendencies of GM Jeff Bridich when it comes to MLB acquisitions, but it is certainly an interesting thought exercise.

This iteration of the Rockies has a unique place in their franchise history for multiple reasons. First, they’ve made the Postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time. But more impressively, the Rockies have done so on the back of young starting pitchers who were largely developed through their minor league system, an achievement that eluded them for the first two decades of their franchise. The issue with the 2018 Rockies was their offense, which was one of the worst in the league based on park-adjusted stats. The offense reached a low point on the national stage when the Brewers only surrendered 2 runs total to the Rockies in a three-game NLDS sweep.

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Even Jeff Bridich himself has stated that the team’s focus this offseason is on the offense, so the idea of acquiring an extremely talented starting pitcher seems a bit odd, but it makes sense for a few reasons. The most obvious one is what makes Syndergaard attractive to every team: a starting rotation is made up of five players, and reinforcements are needed for nearly every club due to injury. If the Rockies were to acquire an All-Star third baseman, for example, it would create a log-jam at the hot corner. But if the Rockies acquired Syndergaard, it would simply require moving a marginal player like Chad Bettis off the staff.

Also, there’s a pretty simple logical argument for adding a star pitcher like Syndergaard to their already solid staff: better run prevention helps a team win just as scoring runs does. Though it seems rather obvious, a team with Syndergaard is better than one without him, regardless of their offensive output.

But none of this concerns the Mets, who are simply looking to maximize the return for their young flamethrower.  If Rosenthal’s assertion that the Mets are looking for MLB-ready prospects is correct, the Rockies have several options. Infielder Ryan McMahon seems like an obvious centerpiece, as he has great prospect pedigree and some Major League experience, but the Rockies crowded infield has made it tough for him to get consistent playing time. Other options include outfielder Raimel Tapia, middle infielder Garrett Hampson, and starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman.

While the Colorado Rockies are certainly not the favorites to land Noah Syndergaard if the New York Mets choose to trade him, the combination of a team eager to complete and a backlog of MLB-ready prospects makes Thor in the purple pinstripes seem like a sensible option.