There was a time when the Chicago Cubs found themselves at the mercy of then-New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
But it’s been quite some time. These days, the 32-year-old Texas native is looking for a job after not playing at all last season.
Might the Cubs be interested in kicking the tires on the right-hander?
It’s worth considering.
This weekend, a video made it clear that Syndergaard was working out this offseason. If one were to go to his Instagram feed, one would find him lifting weights and working with a medicine ball.
Then, the New York Post’s Dan Bartels posted video of Syndergaard throwing during a workout that Syndergaard posted to Instagram. The velocity on the throw reminded one of the pitcher’s glory days in New York.
No downside to a spring training invite. Noah Syndergaard, 32 — why not?
Could be a great bullpen piece — or 6th starter.pic.twitter.com/pt0t4DSvul
— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) January 31, 2025
There was a time he was one of baseball’s most exciting pitchers, and that overlapped with breaking into the Majors with the New York Mets in 2015. During a five-year stretch, he helped the Mets reach a World Series, finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting and made the 2016 All-Star team.
From 2015-19 he went 47-30 with a 3.31 ERA with 775 strikeouts and 166 walks.
But the 2020 season was a line of demarcation in his career.
He tore the UCL in his right arm, needed Tommy John surgery and didn’t pitch again until 2021, when he made two starts at the end of that season.
Since then, he’s pitched for four other teams, as he’s gone 12-16 with a 4.96 ERA with 151 strikeouts and 50 walks in 223.1 innings.
So where might he fit in Chicago?
Well, the Cubs appear to be trying to take a swing at trading for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease. A deal like that wouldn’t impact bringing in Syndergaard on a team-friendly deal.
The Cubs have a rotation led by Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. Other pieces include Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Javier Assad, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown. Chicago even has a first-round pick, Cade Horton, waiting in the wings.
Syndergaard might be a better fit for the bullpen, though he’s only made two career appearances there. The recent trade to bring in Ryan Pressly from Houston gives the Cubs a closer. But, if Syndergaard has something close to the stuff he had before his injuries, well, that makes him an ideal set-up man.
This would be a low-risk, high-reward kind of deal for the Cubs. He won’t command the $13 million he got with his last deal in 2023. Given how he’s working out this offseason, he’s certainly worth a conversation.
