Noah Syndergaard could be back on the Mets’ Major League roster on Tuesday, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports (via Twitter). Syndergaard made two rehab appearances, setting him up for a week in the Mets’ bullpen before the offseason. The 73-81 Mets have not much to play for in this final week of game action, but there may be a small victory in once more seeing Thor suit up in a Mets’ uni before he hits free agency this winter. Syndergaard has not pitched in the Majors since 2019.
In other Mets’ news…
- Jacob deGrom continues to work his way back to full health after a frustrating and somewhat obfuscating extended absence. The Mets’ ace went on the injured list for the second time 71 calendar days ago. It wasn’t clear at the time that he would be out long-term. He threw a bullpen session recently, which could put him on track to make one appearance this year, per Healey. Once a clear-cut Cy Young frontrunner, deGrom is likely to finish the year with a 1.08 ERA/1.23 FIP across 15 starts totaling 92 innings.
- Javier Baez would be very much open to returning to the Mets next year to continue playing alongside his countryman and close friend Francisco Lindor, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Baez has put up an exceptional .303/.377/.538 line since joining the Mets, adding up to an impressive 4.3 rWAR/3.6 fWAR total for the year. The polarizing star will be an unrestricted free agent without a qualifying offer attached, so while he enjoys playing alongside his pal in New York, it may come down to a question of price point. For the Mets the issue is allocation of resources, as they already has Jeff McNeil and Luis Guillorme under team control, as well as Robinson Cano coming back from suspension. As well as Baez has played, the Mets may have greater needs elsewhere.
Who needs Baez when you have Robinson Cano coming back to “juice up” the offense! My fervent hope is for one more failed test. For a player acquired in a failed trade. Thanks again Brodie. The trade that keeps on taking. Prospects, playing time for more deserving players, money that could be better spent elsewhere.
What fans forget is that BVW worked for Wilpon was at a make or break point to win now or sell. Thus was willing to acquire Cano in order to acquire Diaz. Wilson’s also favored players with prior NYC success, plus Cano was seen as an important leader in the clubhouse whose presence would help Rosario fulfill top prospect potential. Job if a GM is to build a team under the governance of ownership.
Yes Brodie was a Jeff Wilpon puppet. No legit MLB executive would have made such a bone head trade. Brodie had zero experience on THAT side of the business of baseball making it so much easier for Jeff to manipulate things his way. Nevertheless, Brodie was a knucklehead as GM because of the trade and his “Come get us” statement.
It was taking the albatross Cano contract to get Diaz. I would not have done it, but if Diaz would have been as good as Mariano Rivera, it would have looked a lot better for the Mets. Problem is that there is only one Mariano. Diaz needs to be closing in a city with less pressure and less media. His dominance in Seattle was replaced by the yips in NY.
# dugmet is obviously related to or worked for Van Lunchwagen.
Cano and important leader are you freaking kidding me!!!
Cano wouldn’t even run out of the batter’s box I still remember JD Davis slamming his hand down at second trying to hustle and break up a double play with Cano still in the box. Then a time when he supposedly got hurt and didn’t even run and when he went back to the dugout not one Met player would even look at HIM!
Secondly BVM gave the Mets and their fans his word that Cano suspension was a testing mistake in Seattle and he would not do it in NY that is why we still have to pay him because any other GM would have mad him sign a clause to cancel his contact.
BVM has done damage to this team for years to come and you will never see any other organization hire him as a GM
I refuse to believe that even a novice GM like BVW would have made that trade without being forced by ownership. That’s the whole reason he was brought in – to be a Wilpon mouthpiece.
Cmon- Cano was his client as an agent. He did his guy a favor
I think Brodie (stupidly) thought that he knew something about the value of his former clients that others did not. He was very wrong.
Cano was Brodie’s client.. he wanted back to NYC & Brodie made it happen.. that was a brutal trade..
Exactly..
Cano was Brodie’s client.. he wanted back to NYC & Brodie made it happen.. that was a brutal trade..
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Robinson Cano has shut himself out of the HOF no matter what he does from here in out. I assume Aroid will get the same treatment.
The difference between Cano and Arod is that Arod juiced in his prime whereas, to the extent we know, Cano has done it later in his career dealing with injury. If this makes a difference to a voter then Cano may not be shutout of HOF consideration.
Well…the other difference is that Cano was an excellent player. But Alex Rodriguez was one of the two or three most talented ballplayers that most of us have ever seen play.
Cano would have had to do some compiling.
Whereas Rodriguez *should* be first ballot guy.
But: a bunch of dorks who were never much good at the game (read: BBWA) have convinced a bunch of otherwise fairly savvy baseball fans that Rodriguez “cheated”. & he should therefore be villanized forever. Sports fans do seem to love a good hatchet job, serious. Especially one’s where they can run some “holier than thou” BS.
Which, of course, sweeps under the rug that he cheated…
Or: “cheated”.
Which is my contention.
Never like Arod at all, but I completely agree with you.
Ducky, are you saying that Arod did not cheat? That he didnt take PED’s?
He absolutely ran gear.
I just don’t view that as cheating. Especially during that particular time period of baseball. I feel the whole “cheating” blarny is a narrative foisted upon us by the BBWA. When they elected Selig the hypocrisy was disgustingly apparent.
Terrible look.
Which is not a popular take for the most part.
But – one way or another – it’s a much more nuanced & complex story than some “CheATrez” poputake.
Boo Hoo 86. I swear, Mets fans are the worst baseball fans. Not even debatable anymore.
Because Those ‘SUSPECTS’ The Mets Traded Have Turned Out So Well for The Mariners ……
Are They Still Getting That Kelenic HOF Wing Ready ????
#mets7300 Trade worked out great for Seattle as they dumped Cano’s contract on the Mets. As far as Kelenic goes the kid is only 21 years old and still has 13 homers in is short time up in MLB. I would take him back in a NY minute.
Mets should want no part of Baez.
My screen name says it all and I got it before his Mets suspension.
Good post 86mets
They need to bring back Baez. Hes the only one who hits with runners in scoring position on the team
Plus he hates the fans. That’s a huge plus into making the Mets the most unlikable franchise in MLB. Booing the fans who stuck through all the BS and drama. Makes sense.
He’s a Cub for life, of course he’ll boo Mets fans, who wouldn’t?!
Ugh. Talent doesn’t change according to situation. Baez doesn’t choose when he gets his hits and neither does anyone else.
Baez and Villar are the only ones in the lineup a little fire.
no thanks- Would rather they go all in on Bryant and an outfielder
The Mets have been playing so well since they brought in Baez. Please resign him… i want to see this Mets dumpster fire continue for years to come.
Baez… that would be a hard pass….. spend your money much more wisely.
Exactly; he’s a bad influence. Lindor and Baez need to be separated.
What they do might depend on if there is a DH in 2022. Cano could serve as the DH. Could probably put Nimmo or McNeil if RF if they would prefer to sign Baez and let Conforto leave.
Maybe I’m wrong but Cano shouldn’t start just cause he’s overpaid. You put the players out there that help you win. Davis needs to be the DH and only sign Baez if you think he can play third. McNeil’s not a great 2B but he’s pretty good and much more comfortable there than any other position
It would make more sense for Alonso to be the Mets DH and Dom Smith to take 1B full time. The Mets would be better off just paying Cano to stay home at this point
That makes sense but I feel like Alonso is a good first baseman, Dom Smith is serviceable in right, and Davis is a straight up liability at the hot corner. And yes let Cano walk
Cano is signed so there is no walk…
Cano is NOT going to be a plan A starter. No way. He might be a bench piece but that’s it.
This might be pedantic, but I’m a little iffy on the use of the word countrymen for Baez/Lindor. Puerto Rico is not a country but a territory of the US, so while they’re technically both countrymen in one sense (being from the US), the article is trying to allude to their shared history of being born and raised in Puerto Rico (and, incidentally, moving to Florida literally the same year). I’m not sure of how I would rewrite that without making it 2-3 sentences of a digression, but “countrymen” seems like an imperfect fit here.
Wow…you’re an idiot.
Blame imperialism
Puerto Ricans are born as American citizens.
Lol Yes they are a COUNTRY otherwise they shouldn’t have a different flag.
All 50 states also have their own flags, yet last time I checked they are not countries.
Yet
Every STATE has its own flag, for whatever it’s worth. I think their birthplace is secondary anyway. I think it’s more a case of them bring friends that enjoy playing together. That isn’t a bad thing. Frankly Writing off Lindor after one bad season is kind of stupid. Also, there is no doubt of what kind of dynamic player Baez is and can be in the future. Taking away the entire ridiculous thumbs down fiasco, Baez has been great for the Mets on the field. He was the LEAST of this teams problems this year. Finally, Cohen has PLENTY of money. He can afford to put up or shut up.
I wouldn’t sign Baez- no reason to- McNeil is best at 2b
Go after Bryant for 3b
Someone has been watching Family Guy. I think what you meant to say is that it’s “shallow and pedantic”…
And we wonder why the young people aren’t watching baseball…
Zero chance you didn’t get a load of very deserved wedgies as a kid.
The fact you wrote a paragraph of nonsense and have no solution suggests you’re the imperfect fit here
Cole
I found it rather obfuscating also.
It’s as if he is saying, they don’t look like me, so they must be from another country.
Well, if Puerto Rico wasn’t a country, then why it had representation as a team in all Baseball World Classics, getting to the finals in the last two tournaments, with only 3.4 millions habitants in population and where also, baseball is not the “country’s” number 1 sport anymore. Puerto Rico is indeed the only colony in the whole world where U.S. does not want it to be a state, neither give them their independence. That’s a fact, not a personal opinion, and my opinion regarding this, is not important. No one in this planet (neither the United Nations) have a clear definition for Puerto Rico’ current political statehood. The only example I can compare Puerto Rico in history to, is what India was to U.K. before getting their independence. Paquito Lindor and Javy Baez made it clear they are a good combination in SS and second base years ago in last World Classic. And I am not a Mets fan, just in case.
If the Mets are spending ~75m on cano Baez Lindor next year that makes no sense. Unfortunately the cano situation throws a wrench at the Mets. Coming back on the payroll at $20+m is a hard pill to swallow if they also pay Baez $20+m. That’s two second basemen. They’d need to trade mcneil, hope for a DH, and end up with Dom Smith Nimmo JD Davis across the outfield.
Respectfully disagree. I’d resign Baez. He seems to have an “it” factor and with him and Lindor they’d be quite strong up the middle. If they don’t release Cano and there’s a DH then Cano is the full time DH. McNeil can play third, leaving Smith and Davis as trade bait. The truth is that the Mets have so many unknowns on and off the field that it’s almost a fool’s errand trying to predict how the off season will play out. The only prediction I can confidently make is that Conforto won’t be here. I wish him luck.
McNeil has said 3b is his worst position
Let Baez walk, offer the QO to Conforto and hope he doesn’t take it
Sign bryant, Sign Castellanos or trade for an outfielder to go along with Nimmo
Cohen has more money than double of most owners. It’s really donsenr matter how much we spend on those 3 players
There’s still a luxury tax. It’s not like he’s just going to throw away his personal fortune to make the Mets win.
Cohen will spend like the dodgers. Probably even more
There’s nothing wrong with adding payroll. If Cohen wants to add $60m this off-season he’s already got $20m to cano, possibly 10m more to syndergaard if QO’d, same with Conforto. Whatever his line is gets messed up by having to pay a bum like Cano another two seasons. Bury him at DH? Why not have Dom Smith DH – their last two seasons they’ve got basically equal OPS+. Obviously I’d rather have Baez but you can’t spend $75m for middle infielders when Tylor Megill is your number 2 starter in a summer playoff run and you have one starting outfielder under control next year (Nimmo).
Spending like the Dodgers doesn’t get you anything unless you have the homegrown talent like the Dodgers as well.
@MetsFan22, I would rather say “spend like the Padres”, since they are the same type of team. At least the Dodgers always seem to get to post seasons. Neither the Padres, neither the Mets.
Metsfan22 How long have you been a fan?
What? The wilpons era doesn’t even count to me. New era here
New era? Looks reaaaaaallllly similar to me…
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
It would cost closer to $90M for those (3) than $75M. Lindor and Cano will make just under $60M next year ($59.1M AAV). I assume that Baez is looking for $25M – $30M per year himself, and then there is McNeil’s salary too. Not sure the Mets can afford to have $95M-$100M tied up in (4) second basemen next season. I guess they could trade McNeil but that’s still close to $90M for (3) if they end up signing Baez.
Hopefully the Mets do go over the luxury tax and they keep the same penalties in the next cba. That way when the Mets haven’t won in 3 years time and their farm is crippled because they went over the tax continually Mets fans can wonder why all the spending didn’t work and I can laugh and remember this comment I made now. Because I will.
Maybe they will pay out Cano and get rid of him. Small change for Cohen
John that would be the Met’s worst outfield ever.
Thumbs down.
He has a skill set that will not age well, plus his recent hot streak with the Mets goes against seven seasons of data.
It would be a very vintage Mets signing though. One they’ll regret in short order.
What makes you say his skill set won’t age well?
I feel with his power, speed. defense, & versatility that he has a really high floor.
It’s a unique & sometimes awkward group of skills. But I think he’ll be a productive player for awhile yet.
He has no patience. He relies fully on elite hand eye coordination. That does tend to fade fairly quickly into your 30s…
I understand he’s an exceptionally free swinger. Which leads to OBP issues. That is the knock on him & it’s well deserved, @McCourt.
But he hits the ball hard. His in-game power & his sprint speed raise his offensive profile. Power ages well. Speed not so much. But: some speed guys remain productive well into their 30’s. Throw in gold glove caliber defense at 2nd & short, & you have a player that will – in an unconventional way – put up 3+ WAR seasons for awhile.
The Yanks will definitely be in on the upcoming SS market. To me, the cleanest fit are Story & Baez. Now, if the retool is extensive this winter then any of the big 5 could be in play. But Baez would slide into short & into our lineup pretty easily, man.
He hits the ball hard now. When his bat speed starts to slow down, he’s going to have trouble catching up to pitches and whiff even more. His athleticism is also a huge part of his game, so you have to wonder how long his defense is going to hold up as well.
I get what you’re saying Ducky. But even with this current hot streak included, overall he is still a low BA and low OBP profile now, with those elite skills we agree he has. Think how fast Kris Davis fell off a cliff. He had a very similar profile. Baez is more dynamic and more rounded with defense/speed sure, but I can see a sudden death to Baez’s ability to make enough contact to make his power+speed play in a Davis-like manner. He sure ain’t walking to 1st…
Ah Nothing like the Alderson Stench first thing in the AM. Elimination City just another sub 500 losing Season.
Work stoppage or no, the Mets are going to be the most interesting team to watch this winter. Sadly (perhaps), despite being a train wreck on its way to a dumpster fire, they’re not that far out of it; there’s considerable talent there.
IMHO the only way Cohen gets the back pages back from the now-inspiring Yankees, is to completely clean house. Give the whole organization an enema, and get some new blood. Otherwise, 2022 could look a whole lot like 2021. And yes, there are times that you make a change just to make a change.
Cohen can’t just throw $ around to solve this which he tried with Lindor. The Mets have a toxic, losing culture of incompetence that is deeply rooted. Cohen needs to totally Clean House which means Sandy, Rojas, coaches, scouting, medical and training staff must all Go.
He needs to Poach the Tampa Organization for FO talent.
At some point, teams that want to win have to look at winning teams’ formulas. Why do some teams’ success always seem so mysterious? Small ball, consistency, defense, develop players and then identify the difference makers. Sign QUALITY free agents.
Why are teams like the Braves always the team to beat in the East? No one ever seems to pin their success on players who are on the rebound like Syndergaard, Carrasco, Walker, Nimmo, Davis, McNeil and now deGrom? This teams needs healthy, consistent performers. Alonso has been our one true constant, but he needs help behind him. He just seems to put too much pressure on himself. Maybe having a Baez behind him will let the polar bear hunt again.
I agree with you, Robrock, but unfortunately Cohen has already said Sandy is returning so little chance of any of that happening.
Cosmo,
Great minds think alike and I am always right. If Cohen doesn’t clean House after this debacle, he will regret it.
Where does MLB stand with the DH rule? I don’t care either way but either you have one or you don’t. It is ridiculous to expect teams to build a roster if you don’t know what the rules are?
A professional league should get it together one way or the other.
The current rules are obviously known. It’s unlikely that anybody definitively knows what the future rules are.
I know this is off topic, but I’ve been wondering about it for a while: Are MLB players and other employees allowed to make bets on Draft Kings and the other online sports betting sites?
From what I’ve read from Kevin Goldstein, it’s highly discouraged for FO members to do MLB betting or even Fantasy teams cause it could taint your view of a player
None of them (players or front office personnel) are allowed to bet on baseball in any form but I’m not sure if they are allowed to bet on the NFL, NBA or NHL through the recently-approved online sports books.
Mets will cave into pressure and re-sign Baez for large contract. Whiny Mets fans will complain. Baez will underperform contract. Whiny Mets fans will complain. Thor and deGrom will throw a combined no-hitter on the last day of the season. Whiny Mets fans will complain.
Nice seeing some grownup Mets discussion with minimal impact from MF22…Which is probably why it’s a grownup discussion!
What most fans know is, but Mets management doesn’t quite get, that you can’t treat your roster like a fantasy league team. All of the successful teams build depth so when the inevitable injuries come, it’s “next man up” and the train keeps moving. The Mets haven’t been built this way in a long time, and the results bear it out.
It’s not just the money, it’s being able to identify talent to plug in beyond the first 20 or so players on the roster. The Giants, Rays, and Dodgers have this down to a science. We’ll find out in the next couple of years if the Mets understand this.
@ashamed. Honestly, I do think we did just what you stated prior to the season. I mean, our veteran reserves carried us (with our sticky pitching) to a comfortable lead at the break. It has been the regulars who have let us down time and time again upon returning.
McCann has been average.
Lindor has been league average.
McNeil and Conforto have had terrible years outside the last 3 weeks.
Davis and Smith have been non factors.
Nimmo has been stellar, but once again proven unable to be on the field when needed.
DeGrom’s absence has probably cost us 10-12 games.
The bullpen had WAAAAY too many wins. That just means games were blown late.
Bottom line is, I don’t think ANY team can be prepared to trot out 15 quality starting pitchers.
Our biggest issue has been hitting with runners in scoring position against the starting pitcher and keeping our players ready to play, physically before and/or after games. Way too many muscle injuries. I believe BOTH come down to discipline and preparation – and that ultimately falls on the manager.
yankees as well. mets should invest heavily in their major league scouting department. identifying guys with untapped potential (and having a plan for unlocking it) is one way to maximize those last 5-7 roster spots
i disagree with you on that dasit. How many of those castoffs performed for us when the regulars went down. Drury, McKinney, Villar, Megill, Pillar, etc etc. Its more the regulars didnt even live up to their career avgs or were hurt a lot this season (pitchers especially). This is training and medical staff with some covid short season from last year thrown in.
yeah it was fun watching you guys build a division lead despite a deluge of injuries to regulars. i was making more of a general point, and it may be that the mets already have that department locked down. also. i’ve noticed that every fan thinks their team’s training and medical staff is incompetent, myself included
Metsfan22 is on the phone with Miss Cleo right now jotting down next years predictions.
I think he posts on Amazin Avenue too Has to be him. The one loser that cries about everything and thinks the world is a conspiracy against the Mets. Wouldn’t be caught dead saying anything in person but can write whatever he/she wants like a coward. That site is a joke now.
Honest question to Cubs fans: does Baez play with this much energy all the time? I’m skeptical and that he is just pulling a Cespedes or to get a big contract offer from the Mets that his agent can manipulate against other teams.
Can McNeil replace Conforto in the outfield if Baez is signed? Possibly. Resign Villar and Pillar, retain Davis or trade him for pitching, let Cano ride the bench until he next tests positive.
Honestly, with just those moves, our positions are pretty much set and we can focus on pitching and again sign the veteran spare parts while we wait for the minor leaguers to work their way up. Oh, and get a real manager and real hitting INSTRUCTORS.
Why would deGrom want to pitch when they don’t hit for him. At least for 2 years
Syndegaard should throw no more than a single inning. Heads should roll if he does.
That doesn’t make any sense. If he’s healthy enough to pitch he should pitch however many innings he’s capable of. He’s also a free agent so it’s not like the Mets need to worry about him reinjuring himself if he’s comfortable with the risk.
Common sense – The risk vs reward is 90/10
Mets – I’ll take those odds
There is really nothing to gain by doing this. What are they doing, 2 innings twice each?
With the way luck has run on the Mets this year, Syndergaard will probably step on a Lego the night before his start, twist an ankle, and wind up needing knee surgery…
PoLaRiZiNg StAr
I really must say that this has been a good discussion. I like it when most of the participants are serious fans of the game and have no axe to grind. The “enema” comment may seem, at first blush, to be funny, but isn’t (IMHO). Mr. Cohen must do a lot of work.
in that way? Cano is 40 years old The Mets do not need him nothing to look for the best thing Cohen could do is negotiate his payment and send it to his house
Cano will somehow be placed on the IL, be given his money and a kick out the door. McNeil gets traded if the Mets can sign Baez and for some reason sign Conforto. If Conforto goes McNeil stays. Then find a third baseman and a center fielder. And of course some starting pitchers.
I’m not high on Thor and don’t care if he walks as he is a thrower but not a pitcher. And by the third inning he usually starts to become hitable. Give him a one year contract if they must and trade him once his potential entices some team to trade for him.
What CFr will they find? Not many out there. Not many that are worthwhile.
might be able to snag buxton without breaking the bank. don’t see a lot of teams giving him more than 2-3 years with his injury history
@cosmo. While his first taste was bittersweet, Khalil Lee has had a really nice AAA season. With a fast start in the spring, he just might lessen the need for bringing in another CF. I’m also not sure we don’t resign Pillar. A Pillar/Lee platoon in CF is a possibility with Nimmo and McNeil in the corners. I could also see a Villar/Davis split at 3b unless we get Bryant. At this point, I’m not sure Davis/Smith/McNeil are the dynamic players they appeared to be prior to 2021.
Jeff McNiel has bad wheel. He won’t survive OF. Baez will be paid more to play SS. Cano should be paid to go away. A guy with Cohen’s reputation can improve his standing letting that drug cheat go.
Jim Stem: Yea I hope Lee turns out to be a real option. I’m not so much a fan of Pillar, I think they need to do better. But Lee does provide hope.
If Baez will take a 1 or 2 year deal I would resign him, than resign Syndergaard and Stroman to maybe 2 -3 year deals. Sign Bryant to play RF, move Nimmo to LF bring up Lee for CF and bring up Vientos or Baty to play 3b. I would resign the bench players they did good this year.
I would trade Carrasco,McNeil and Smith. Cano can DH
A rotation of deGrom,Stroman,Syndergaard,Walker and Peterson would be very good.
Baez is getting 3-5 years easy. Yankees will be in on him. Houston, Angels, Brewers, Cardinals.
Stroman’ s getting 3-4 years.
Thor May take 1 year.
McNeil is a keeper. Just a bad year.
Dom and Davis May be traded. Vientos had a great year in minors.
Villar was money off the bench. He’s team MVP.
Nido is fine.
Please dump the maddeningly inconsistent Conforto. Sign Castellanos.
Cohen has to bring Baez back. He was their best offensive player (although that’s not saying much)
He was their best offensive player but he’s gonna cost the team a boatload of money. They’re gonna lose a lot of pitching to free agency – starters and relievers. I think that’s where their money should be spent. Next year’s pitching staff could be worse than this year’s if they aren’t wise about where they allocate their free agent money