5 former Mets players still without a job with spring training games approaching

2) Noah Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard will always remain an intriguing big league pitcher. His larger than life persona itself will have general managers stirring about the possibilities. It’s still shocking to see how he hasn’t converted to a reliever at this stage. Then again, with how much money starters are getting paid, moving to a role he doesn’t have experience in wouldn’t be the wisest financial decision.

Tommy John surgery in 2020 threw a wrench in Syndergaard’s budding career. He pitched just two innings in two seasons and by the time he left the Mets he was already nearly in his 30s. An okay 2022 season split between the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies was enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign him to a one-year deal worth $13 million. Still not even close to the $21 million the Angels paid him the year prior, he found a way to make the contract look even worse.

Syndergaard made 12 starts for the Dodgers last year and would finish with a 7.16 ERA. He was traded at the deadline to the Cleveland Guardians where he’d make another half-dozen starts. The 5.40 ERA was an improvement. However, he struck out less than 5 batters per 9.

All Syndergaard has going for him now is the intrigue of what he did so many years ago with the Mets. A cool nickname only gets you so far in this game.