The Mets are rumored to be shopping Noah Syndergaard - A Hunt and Peck

Could the Cardinals make a move for the righty?

By lil_scooter93 Nov 21, 2018, 4:00pm EST

It is the thick of the MLB offseason and rumors are swirling. Today the focus is on the New York Mets and their hard-throwing starter, Noah Syndergaard. According to Jon Heyman the team is considering trading the 2016 All Star:

hear at least half-dozen teams are believed to be real players for Noah Syndergaard. mets are seriously considering deals for him if they could fill multiple holes with real impact. will be one of the big winter meetings storylines.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 21, 2018

At least a half-dozen teams is like, six teams, which is a substantial amount of interest in the right-hander. According to Heyman and MLB Trade Rumors, the Mets have some specifics in mind for the return:

Importantly, Heyman notes that the key for the Mets in any potential deal would be to “fill multiple holes with real impact.” That suggests, unsurprisingly, that new GM Brodie Van Wagenen will not be looking for lower-level prospects. And it also seems to indicate that there’s a rather high asking price for one of the game’s most talented hurlers.

As MLB Trade Rumors notes, the Mets are currently constructed around a core of talented starting pitchers, a core that includes Syndergaard. Perhaps this willingness to trade is indication of a move away from that strategy. Maybe the Mets just are looking to take advantage of thinner pitcher market. The motives and level of seriousness are still unclear.

In his first year of arbitration in 2018, Syndergaard and the Mets agreed to $3 million. In his second year, MLB Trade Rumors predicts the twenty-six-year-old to earn just under $6 million. Because of his Super 2 status, Syndergaard will have two more years of arbitration, putting him under team control until after the 2020 season.

Noah Syndergaard is an good pitcher with an exciting repertoire. An injury in 2017 had dampened the enthusiasm around him, but he bounced back well in 2018, pitching just over 154 innings and accumulating 4.2 fWAR in that time. He is also under team control for three years with a manageable arbitration salary. All of that makes him an intriguing trade target for the Cardinals. The only questions remaining are whether the Cardinals have the right players to deal and, of course, if they want to deal them?

Mets "Seriously Considering" Noah Syndergaard Trade Scenarios | MLB Trade Rumors