Noah Syndergaard is entering his third season in the majors poised to become the true ace of an extremely deep and talented Mets pitching staff. He is coming off a season in which he went 14 and 9 with a 2.60 ERA with 218 strikeouts and 48 walks allowed. He managed to stay healthy for a full season and averaged 97.9 MPH with his fastball up from 96.5 MPH the year prior.
He came into this year’s camp claiming to have gained 17 pounds of muscle to help speed up his velocity which is already the highest in the majors for a starting pitcher. Syndergaard will turn 25 years old in June and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season.
While the team controls him for the next five seasons extending him now may end up saving them millions of dollars in the future. They may be getting Syndergaard’s services for a discount for the next couple of seasons before arbitration kicks in but if they were to offer him an extension now they may be able to get him something in the range of 60 million for 6 years with club options for the 7th and 8th season.
With this type of a deal, the Mets would buy up his arbitration eligible years and his first year of free agency, while giving Syndergaard a significant raise in the next couple of seasons and the security of a long-term deal. This would be very appealing to both the club and player as the Mets could find themselves with a bargain of a contract and Syndergaard would have the insurance of a long-term deal in case of injury.
In his year and a half in the majors, Syndergaard has proven to be a durable starter and has only improved both his control and velocity. With his young age, there is still room for improvement in his already strong game. He has also shown the tenacity to succeed in the tough New York sports market. When Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejada’s leg with a late slide in the playoffs, Syndergaard threw at him not once but twice before being ejected from the game. In the world series when Alcides Escobar was upset for him throwing over his head he told the media that “if they have a problem with me throwing inside, then they can meet me 60 feet 6 inches away, I have no problem with that.”
It’s that kind of attitude the has endeared Syndergaard to fans and teammates alike. Is there a risk signing a young pitcher to a long-term deal, sure, but Syndergaard is the kind of once in a generation talent that is worth taking a risk on. Signing him to a long-term deal would signal the Mets commitment to their young core of players. He also has a very strong chance at becoming quite the bargain for the Mets.
I don’t see Noah going for that kind of club-friendly deal. If healthy, when the time comes, he’s a $300 million pitcher. I don’t believe he wants to postpone that payday.
OTOH, it’s reasonable to wonder if it makes sense to sign any pitcher to a huge contract. The track record is just so bad.
I always felt that DeGrom, because of his age and (perceived) disposition, was the easier guy to extend to a mutually-agreeable contract.
I don’t get the selfish vibe from Noah. Then again, he’s also just a kid. deGrom is older and looking to secure himself, Harvey has Boras in his ear, but Syndergaard is just coming into his own as one of the game’s elite.
If he can get through this year healthy and effective, he’s the type of player you give a big contract to. Splurge on the insurance too.
Never suggested in any way that Noah was selfish. In fact, when it comes to contracts, I throw all those value judgments out the window. The people who see Scott Boras as evil incarnate, etc. It’s pure business.
This article certainly raises the issue of extending pitchers. I dont think the Mets have a reason to worry about extending Noah right now. Its also not the path we see from the Alderson administration in general. I think the main thing is that pitchers are finicky objects, so maybe you take the spin on the arb years, but I also dont believe he is likely to give up FA years with club options 2 years beyond FA.
I agree that deGrom is more likely to take such a deal, but with him turning 29 this summer, I wonder whether there is much desire to be adding years in his mid 30s.
There’s no set of variables or factors that can indicate whether or not a player will sign a contract early in their career. It’s a rather pointless topic to talk about in my opinion as basically it’s random and a complete crapshoot.
It comes down to the player deciding whether they want the comfort of knowing exactly to the penny how much their raises will be versus the less certain arbitration path, which can fluctuate a few million depending on performance. Some may also get distracted by these types of articles when they (or the people around them) see these types of articles written and sign to quash needless chatter. Others may feel FA is so far away that an extension doesn’t even feel like an “extension” and so they’d rather wait. And of course there are those that want to make as much as possible or those that truly love the city they play it and want the comfort of knowing they won’t have to move.
Why be so condescending?
If you haven’t noticed, it’s all pointless. Nothing we say here matters. Some people come here to discuss baseball and their favorite team. That’s about the sum of it.
It’s been an incredible dull last 6 months for Mets news. It’s the same shtick regurgitated every day. But i guess i shouldn’t spoil the fun for those who wish to continue to discuss.
My original point was that it’s up to Noah if he wants to talk, not the Mets and so it’s mostly out of their control, hence “pointless”.
And “demanding” (or even politely asking) a team to sign a young player to an extension for some reason is a sore spot for me. As if it’s that easy to ask and they’ll so nicely comply.
Syndergaard has a right to decide whether he’s coming to work at his existing pay…. at some point, he’ll do that. …and both parties will decide how hard they want to be with each other.
With respect to all the agreements in place between MLB and “The Players”, it’s not “selfish” thinking that would influence a player to withdraw from underpaid service….. he can strike his own deal or he can stay home. It won’t make him a bad guy.
This is more an opinion and discussion point.
Pitchers are fragile. Pitching contracts over five years are very risky.
Syndergaard is a free agent in 2022 and not arb eligible until 2018 therefore there is no need for an offer until he is arb eligible.
I reference Matt Harvey as an example, who is only making $5.125M this year because of injuries.
I personally prefer short term contracts with higher salaries than contracts of 5+ years. I would also trade a good player who refuses a fair extension from management before they become free agents in order to replenish the farm system. I guess I like the name on the front of the uniform more than the name on the back.
I think this is the ideal time to try and extend him before he has a monster and his price skyrockets.