2022 is going to have a very different look for the New York Mets. Noah Syndergaard will be on the mound, but he will be wearing an Angels jersey instead. The Mets’ second ace caliber pitcher is gone, at least for one season.
It is a shocking development. Syndergaard had stated that he had no desire to leave the Mets, and was planning on his return for the coming year. Such a reunion seemed inevitable when he was handed the Qualifying Offer, with that one year deal expected to be the prelude to a long term extension.
New York Mets can blame themselves for Noah Syndergaard leaving
But Syndergaard never heard from the Mets after being offered that Qualifying Offer. That radio silence became problematic, especially as other teams began checking in. As the Angels pursued Syndergaard, laying out their plans and explaining what their intentions were, the Mets’ had lost their chance. That was clear when Syndergaard did not approach the team about matching the Angels’ offer.
Maybe the Mets felt that no one was going to offer Syndergaard that type of contract and that they had time to figure out their front office before engaging him. Maybe that $18.4 million was as high as they were willing to go, and if any team was going to pay more, they would just take the draft pick and call it a day. Or maybe the Mets simply forgot about picking up the phone to check in on Syndergaard because they were too busy attempting to find anyone that would answer their calls about the openings in the front office.
In a way, it is fair to wonder how much of a difference losing Syndergaard will make to the Mets next year. He had pitched all of two innings over the past two seasons, so it is not as though he was a key part of their pitching staff in that time.
However, it comes down to potential and the fact that Syndergaard actually wanted to be part of the Mets. After weeks of rejection, he wanted to come back. So, naturally, the Mets ignored the one person that wanted to be a part of the organization.
The New York Mets only have themselves to blame for Noah Syndergaard’s departure. All they had to do was pick up the phone.