Noah Syndergaard leaves NY Mets to sign with Los Angeles Angels, report says

On Sept. 28, when Noah Syndergaard exited the dugout and headed for the Citi Field mound for the first time in two years, the home crowd roared. Their team may have been out of postseason contention, but their beloved pitcher had returned. Syndergaard later said he "almost shed a little tear."

And after the game, one reporter asked Syndergaard — a soon-to-be free agent — if he thought that night might have marked his final performance in front of the home fans. 

“That was another reason why I was pretty emotional tonight, but I’m fairly confident we’ll reach an agreement and I’ll be pitching here next year," Syndergaard said. "I’d love nothing more than that. New York has a special place in my heart and always will."

That might have been true, but Syndergaard is now leaving the Mets. 

Syndergaard is signing a one-year, $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, according to ESPN. The Mets had extended the qualifying offer to Syndergaard, so they will receive draft pick compensation because he is signing elsewhere. 

In 120 starts with the Mets since 2015, Syndergaard had a 3.32 ERA. Barring a future reunion, a Sunday in Atlanta, the Oct. 3 season finale, marked the final time you'll see Syndergaard wearing a Mets uniform. 

"It'd be a tough pill to swallow not wearing the Mets jersey next year," the right-hander said after his appearance that day. 

Syndergaard had until Wednesday to accept or reject the one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer. In the period between receiving one and making a decision, players can negotiate with other teams to figure out their market value. The Mets also could have negotiated a longer extension with him during this time. 

Syndergaard's market comes as a surprise, even if starting pitching is always highly valued. 

Syndergaard, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020, only pitched two innings this season — both in the final week. He didn't throw sliders or curveballs. He showed teams he overcame TJ, but there's not a ton of evidence that he'll be pre-surgery Syndergaard. He could be, but we haven't seen enough of him quite yet. 

Of the qualifying offer, Syndergaard said in late September: “It would be something I’d be extremely grateful for. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. It’s definitely something I’m hoping for."

In the weeks after the season, it seemed the Mets might be able t negotiate a different deal for Syndergaard, perhaps one for multiple seasons, that would be cheaper for them. Spending $18.4 million on him for one season seemed like splurging, like owner Steve Cohen flexing his muscles so a player didn't get away. 

The fact Syndergaard received more than that? It's somewhat stunning, even if the Angels feel they need starting pitching to take their roster to the next level. 

The Mets now face an even tougher task in rebuilding their rotation. Marcus Stroman is a free agent so, as of now, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker are the top three starters. David Peterson and Tylor Megill would probably be Nos. 4 and 5, if the season began now. 

The free agent starting pitching market includes Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray, though the Mets might stay away from Ray because the Blue Jays extended the qualifying offer to him, which means the Mets would give up a pick if they signed him. They might not want to do that, as Syndergaard signing with the Angels increases their draft pick haul (which also incudes two picks in the first round). 

For Mets fans, this news will sting. Many came to love and appreciate the hard-throwing Syndergaard, who was a mainstay in the rotation for years. And the righty departed Queens before the team officially named Billy Eppler as the new general manager. 

There is a well-known picture of one former Mets rotation that includes deGrom, Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz.

Fans saw Harvey leave. Then Wheeler. Then Matz. 

And now Syndergaard is gone. 

Justin Toscano is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: toscanoj@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @justinctoscano