3 potential landing spots for Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard
Noah Syndergaard was supposed to be the missing piece for the Philadelphia Phillies rotation.
While he was not expected to be an ace caliber pitcher, he was expected to shore up the back of their rotation and be a part of their postseason plans. As he had pitched relatively well with the Angels, it was a fair assumption. Instead, he lost his place in the rotation and has been used in long relief.
Three possible free agency destinations for Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard
Chances are, his struggles in Philadelphia, as well as the fact that he spent this season recovering from Tommy John surgery, will lead to a lower contract than what he received this offseason. In fact, he could be one of the bigger bargains in free agency. It is just a matter of which team gets him to sign on the dotted line.
Where will Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard end up in free agency? Let’s look at three possible destinations this offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have not been known to spend much in the past.
However, those times are changing. They extended one of their top young players, Wander Franco, signing him to an 11 year deal worth $182 million. Tyler Glasnow, Manny Margot, and Brandon Lowe are locked in. The Rays had been a factor in the Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper chases and had reportedly looked at bringing in Max Scherzer at the 2021 trade deadline.
The Rays also have not been afraid to bring in players on one year prove it deals. They did that this past offseason with Corey Kluber, signing him to an $8 million deal. It is possible that they could do the same this offseason with Noah Syndergaard.
The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher is likely to cost more than Kluber did. However, with his injury history and struggles after being traded, a $10 million deal may be a reasonable offer. That is something that the Rays could afford while adding other pieces to fill out the rotation and lineup. Ownership is starting to spend a bit more, making them a surprising player in free agency.
The Tampa Bay Rays will need to add pieces to their rotation during the offseason. Noah Syndergaard could be the answer.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are, once again, going to be looking to fill out their rotation.
They are in much better shape than they were last offseason. The Giants essentially had to rebuild their rotation from scratch, hoping to recapture the magic that led to an unexpected 107 win campaign in 2021. While they fell short, the Giants still managed to find several pieces to build around for next year.
At this point, four of their rotation spots appear to be locked in. It is a matter of finding someone to slot into the third or fourth starter role, someone that could be a relative bargain who has the upside to be even better than expected.
Noah Syndergaard could easily be that pitcher. While there has to be some expected improvement as he moves further from his Tommy John surgery, the Giants have also displayed a knack for rebuilding careers. They may be the perfect team for Syndergaard to land with on a one year deal, working with the Giants coaching staff to relearn his stuff and find a new method of attacking the opposition.
The San Francisco Giants have been able to rebuild pitchers over the past few years. Noah Syndergaard could be the next in line.
Baltimore Orioles
Noah Syndergaard would not be the only piece the Baltimore Orioles need in their rotation. However, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher could be a start on the right path.
The Orioles have several interesting pieces in place. John Means should be back by the middle of the 2023 season, even if he may not be the pitcher he was before injury. DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez should be able to establish their places in the rotation. Dean Kremer showed that he could be a building block. The framework is there.
But the Orioles need more. They need a top of the rotation arm and a solid piece to back that staff ace up. It is not a surprise that they are expected to be active in the trade market and in free agency to improve their rotation.
Syndergaard could do that. He would be a gamble and cannot be counted on to be a top of the rotation arm at this point. But he does have playoff experience and has even won a game in the World Series. Adding someone with that sort of resume and experience could do wonders for a young Orioles team that is still learning how to win.
Noah Syndergaard would not be the only piece the Baltimore Orioles need. He would, however, be a step in the right direction.