Noah Syndergaard-Marcus Stroman Trade Package Best for Mets?
Mets fans were puzzled by the decision to trade for Marcus Stroman, especially when it seems the team’s starting pitchers were rumored to be moving for the longest time. This trade screams indecisiveness. Are the Mets buyers or sellers? If they keep Stroman, which they most likely will, the head-scratching will continue.
However, think about this scenario: What if Stroman was acquired so the Mets could improve the return on a potential deal with Noah Syndergaard?
Noah Syndergaard’s market has been an unknown the last three years because he is a young, controllable pitcher with great stuff and a variety of pitches. Often, however, he has been more of a thrower than a pitcher— relying too much on his fastball, trying for the strikeout, leading to inefficiency and shorter outings. His injury issues, beginning in 2016 and continuing into last year, doesn’t help the return value either. Therefore, it seems like the Mets aren’t getting the full package from other teams when it comes to trade offers.
Could adding Marcus Stroman to the deal improve the odds of a better return?
Plenty of contenders could use starting pitching, such as the Yankees, Twins, Brewers and Phillies. So, is it possible those teams might sweeten the deal if Stroman was included? While he doesn’t have the stuff and upside Syndergaard has, Stroman does have better numbers. With the exception of strikeouts (Syndergaard has 126 and Stroman has 99), Stroman leads in all other major statistical categories, and he has a better ERA (2.96 vs. 4.33).
While it’s doubtful the Mets will get the perfect package of prospects from teams like the Yankees or Twins, adding Stroman will definitely create a better return opportunity. The Yankees have resisted offering pitching prospects, particularly Deivi Garcia, who has gained more interest from his success in Double-A. The Twins don’t want to deal top-20 prospects in shortstop Royce Lewis (#7 according to MLB.com pipeline) and outfielder Alex Kirloff (#16), which is understandable since the asking price is steep. However, adding Stroman to the mix of either a Yankees or Twins deal could return a higher quality secondary prospect along with one of the higher-end prospects.
Two teams the Mets targeted for a Noah Syndergaard trade are the prospect-rich Padres and the Braves. While Syndergaard doesn’t appear to be an ideal fit for either team, that’s where Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen is focusing his attention, and adding Stroman could help boost a package to either team. The Padres are resistant to trade top prospect Mackenzie Gore, currently #3 on the MLB.com pipeline rankings. However, if they believe they can contend for a wild card spot, they might want a win-now pitcher in Syndergaard. And, if the Padres are buyers come tomorrow, Marcus Stroman could relieve some of the concern in dealing Gore.
Adding Stroman to a Braves trade could also bolster a deal, to a certain extent. Getting one top prospect is all the Mets could likely hope for, since the Braves aren’t showing urgency to accumulate pitching depth, unless they know they are letting Julio Teheran walk as a free agent next offseason. The Braves have young pitching assets such as Kyle Wright (#38), Ian Anderson (#34) and Max Fried, who is already in the majors but has been up-and-down so far this season. Outfield prospects Drew Waters (#27) and Christian Pache (#11) could interest the Mets—especially Pache, who has the defensive ability and speed for center fielder. A long shot when you consider Nick Markakis is on the older side, however, if the Braves are one of the teams considering Noah Syndergaard, the Mets should definitely explore adding Stroman to get a combination of higher-end prospects.
The Padres are a more realistic trade partner for a Syndergaard-Stroman package, simply because they need starting pitching more than the Braves do. Both teams remain strong trading partners from what is filling the rumor mill, so Brodie Van Wagenen is likely having conversations. As a Mets fan, a primary concern is the team selling short for Syndergaard, no matter who they trade with.
The Mets should sell and get younger, and the questionable Stroman deal makes more sense if he is dealt with Noah Syndergaard.
The clock is ticking, and we’ll know soon enough.
