Tag Archives: Noah Syndergaard

The Universal DH Is Officially Here

11 Feb


NYDailyNews.com:

No more pitchers on the bases wearing jackets. No more surprise dingers. No more epic bunts. No more awkward batting stances and related injury scares. It’s the end of an era, but at least we’ll always have Bartolo Colon’s legendary home run.

Major League Baseball has agreed to the universal designated hitter, commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Thursday. The move ends the National League’s 48-year run that forced pitchers to take at-bats. In addition, Manfred said MLB has agreed to eliminate draft-pick compensation for signing free agents.

Well, thanks to Manfred and all these ‘progressive’ scribes out there, the last remaining distinction between the NL and the AL is now gone, us purists be damned and that sucks. By the way, as spectacular and surprising as the Bartolo Colon HR was in 2016, can we take the time to give Noah Syndergaard props for hitting 2 HRs against the Dodgers in a game that same year?

Noah Syndergaard Leaves The Mets…For The Money

16 Nov

Noah Syndergaard
ESPN.COM:

Right-hander Noah Syndergaard and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a one-year, $21 million deal, pending a physical, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Syndergaard, 29, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New York Mets, making one All-Star team and displaying perhaps the nastiest array of pitches for a starter in the major leagues. Having pitched only two innings since 2019 because of Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard will join an Angels rotation that was among the worst in the big leagues last season.

Hey, the Mets get a draft pick from the Angels and avoid paying a $18M to a guy who’s pitched all of 2 innings for the last two years. Syndergaard was a fan favorite and we’ll miss his tweets and tenacity on the mound, but I’d much rather the Mets sign Marcus Stroman to a 5-year deal and take a flyer out on Justin Verlander for 1 year to improve their starting pitching.

RELATED: Noah Syndergaard’s Signing Signals an Active Market for Starters

Mets Finally Give In and Let Noah Syndergaard Have His Own Catcher

18 Sep

Noah Syndergaard
NYPost.com:

The schedule and altitude are convenient excuses, at least publicly, for manager Mickey Callaway to give Noah Syndergaard a personal catcher Wednesday.

Callaway acknowledged Tuesday that Rene Rivera is scheduled to start behind the plate for Syndergaard in the Mets’ series finale at Coors Field. Wilson Ramos was the catcher on Tuesday, a night after Tomas Nido started.

“We feel that is going to be the best thing with this night game/day game and this altitude,” Callaway said, referring to Rivera starting for Syndergaard. “We think that Noah is going to pitch well with him, but we’ll probably go that route tomorrow. There’s a lot of different circumstances: day game, night game, where we’re at we need Noah to pitch well.”

Syndergaard has campaigned to have Rivera or Nido as his catcher. In each of his past two starts — with Ramos behind the plate — the right-hander has struggled, allowing four runs in each outing. Included was four runs over five innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

Honestly, with only 10 games left and the Mets literally having to win all of them to stand any chance of making the wild-card, does this whole Syndergaard brouhaha even matter anymore? Syndergaard should’ve had his own catcher awhile ago due to teh simple that the difference in numbers for when Ramos doesn’t catch him, make his case. But the GM and manager’s ego and pride and ego got too butt-hurt to allow the team to relent. And now that decision may cost them making the playoffs.

Noah Syndergaard Dumps on Wilson Ramos

2 Jul

Noah Syndergaard Wilson Ramos
NYPost.com:

Noah Syndergaard returned from the injured list wanting Tomas Nido as his personal catcher and was granted his wish by Mets officials in recent days.

That has left Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom as members of the starting rotation with Nido as their personal catcher, placing Wilson Ramos — signed in the offseason to a two-year contract worth $19 million — in a job share.

Before the Mets faced the Yankees at Citi Field on Tuesday, manager Mickey Callaway explained to The Post the decision to pair Nido with Syndergaard.

“With what we’re trying to do with Syndergaard, keeping the ball down, [Nido] is a good complementary catcher for him,” Callaway said. “He receives the ball down better, so it’s something we have to continue to do.”

Blocking balls in the dirt has been a challenge for the 31-year-old Ramos, whose nine passed balls entering play were most in the National League. Mets pitchers had also been charged for 17 wild pitches with Ramos behind the plate.

Mickey Callaway Really Screwed Up Last Night

5 Jun

Noah Syndergaard Mickey Callaway
NYPost.com:

Mickey Callaway referred to the rotation as the Mets strength yet again before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Giants, and he indicated how important it was for the starters to get on a roll of excellence to carry the team.

A few hours later, Noah Syndergaard was on an excellent roll and the Mets manager was removing him from the game, the latest evidence that even nearly 1 ¹/₂ years into the job, Callaway still has trouble making decisions under stress. You know who agrees with that assessment?

Mickey Callaway.

Because after what turned into a 9-3, 10-inning loss, Callaway first gathered his players to express in Syndergaard’s word “remorse” about the decision while taking responsibility for the loss and then publicly conceding, “I’d like to have that [decision] back.”

That might be true about the Wilpons and Brodie Van Wagenen when it comes to their choice to stick with Callaway as manager. Three days after removing Jacob deGrom over the ace’s objections and going to a sketchy bullpen that would end up blowing the game, Callaway did the same Tuesday with Syndergaard with the same results. This is the Robinson-Cano-not-running-out-balls-twice of managing. Once, you are not crazy about it, but the second time reaches inexcusable.

Honestly, while I was surprised when Callaway came out to pull Syndergaard last night, I thought that with Lugo having pitched so well of late, we’d be ok. Well, not only was I wrong, but with Gary Cohen reminding us that the Giants one strong point was their bullpen, I just knew that the Mets were likely going to lose. What’s also disturbing tho is Callaway’s lack of being aware in the moment and that’s the biggest reason to ax him.

Noah Syndergaard Says Mets ‘Definitely’ Team To Beat

5 Feb

Noah Syndergaard
NYPost.com:

After all the trade talk that involved his name, all the moves made by the Mets this offseason, Mets fans will love hearing this from Noah Syndergaard:

“I think where I am personally with my head space, I couldn’t be more pumped to be down here right now as an individual and team-based,’’ Syndergaard told The Post on Tuesday at Mets pre-camp, the first the big right-hander has attended. “The positive energy around us all is just going to propel us forward.’’

Syndergaard, who is sporting a new beard, is well aware new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mets are the team to beat in the NL East.

Thor concurs.

“Most definitely,’’ he said. “Especially just being down here early. The serotonin release I just get from being around the other guys. It’s very uplifting. I can’t wait to get the ball rolling.’’

Key starters and the pitching rotation staying healthy, when and if Cespedes comes back and Bryce Harper and Manny Machado staying out of the NL East are IMO the keys to winning the division.