New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard avoid arbitration (Report)

The New York Mets and Noah Syndergaard have avoided arbitration. Syndergaard is in his final year of team control. 

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the New York Mets have avoided arbitration with injured right-hander Noah Syndergaard.

Noah Syndergaard signs for $9.7 million, avoiding arbitration with the #Mets.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 22, 2020

Thor has experienced an up-and-down Mets tenure, to say the least. When he was fully healthy in 2016, he was one of the top pitchers in MLB. He was an All-Star, finished top-10 in Cy Young voting, and finished top-20 in MVP voting. Needless to say, Syndergaard was an absolute stud.

He continued to be a dominant pitcher in 2017, but a torn lat caused him to miss the majority of the season. He returned in 2018 and was phenomenal again, but injuries limited him to just 25 starts and 154 innings.

Thor was back healthy in 2019, but like many, the juiced ball killed his effectiveness. He put together the worst season of his career, though his underlying numbers continued to portray that an elite pitcher was present.

Syndergaard looked like he returned to his elite self in 2020. Nonetheless, Tommy John surgery crept up on him. He missed the entire pandemic-impacted season and isn’t expected to return until June 2021 at the earliest.

When Thor does return, he’s going to be pitching for his life. His contract expires following the conclusion of the 2021 season.

Therefore, look for a motivated Syndergaard to light it up next year. The hope continues to be that the 28-year-old will return to dominating the majors and eventually sign a long-term deal to remain in Queens.