The trade deadline might have just gotten a lot more interesting.
With July 31 quickly approaching and a number of teams on the hunt for starting pitching, the New York Mets appear intent on trading right-hander Noah Syndergaard before the deadline, reports ESPN's Buster Olney, citing rival evaluators.
Trade talks involving Syndergaard haven't reached serious stages yet, according to Andy Martino of SNY. Any deal involving the 26-year-old would require a top-30 prospect and multiple other pieces, a rival executive told The Athletic's Marc Carig.
With the Mets struggling to keep up with the top teams in the National League East - they're 12 1/2 games back of the Atlanta Braves - they've been featured in a number of trade rumors, most notably involving impending free agent Zack Wheeler.
Instead of trading Wheeler, however, the Mets might be exploring the idea of signing him to an extension and trading Syndergaard, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
If the rumors are true, Syndergaard would become one of the top pitchers available, especially if San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner is off the market.
Thor hasn't had his best season in 2019, with career highs in ERA, walks per nine, and FIP tarnishing his campaign. But he's dominated opposing hitters for much of his career and still has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball.
Syndergaard Pitch Types in 2019
| PITCH TYPE | USAGE | VELOCITY |
|---|---|---|
| FB | 58.9% | 97.7 |
| SL | 12.3% | 88.9 |
| CB | 11.0% | 80.2 |
| CH | 17.8% | 91.0 |
*Pitch types courtesy of FanGraphs
Syndergaard ranks 12th among qualified starting pitchers in WAR since debuting in 2015, according to FanGraphs, and only Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Chris Sale have authored lower FIPs.
The Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers have all been tied to Syndergaard over the past month. The New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins also appear to be in the market for starting pitching.
