Philadelphia Phillies: A trade deadline deal to annoy the Mets

Starting pitching is a growing need for the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. Ranger Suarez returned before the All-Star Break, but Zach Eflin has been limited throughout the season due to injuries.

The team doesn’t have much starting pitching depth of significance between the main five so hunting for another option is on their to-do list before the August 2nd trade deadline. Who should they pick?

Audacy’s Tim Kelly mentioned the Phillies as a potential landing spot for Noah Syndergaard. We have more in common than a shared first name. I, too, believe adding Syndergaard would be a move to consider all the while getting under the skin of the New York Mets.

Noah Syndergaard is a salary dump trade addition the Philadelphia Phillies can afford to make.

You know Syndergaard best for his days with the Mets from 2015-2021; those last two seasons including only two innings of work. Syndergaard was boisterous. He was sometimes loud. At the best, he was intimidating. His time with the Mets was mostly underwhelming. The potential was always there.

In the offseason, he turned down the qualifying offer from the Mets to sign a one-year deal worth $21 million to become a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Even a Nathan Fielder plan couldn’t have saved that team. They’ve been crashing for a good month and a half.

Syndergaard certainly has had his share of injuries over the years. He had Tommy John Surgery at the beginning of 2020 which led to him missing almost two full seasons. The Phillies would only need him to stay productive for the rest of 2022. He’s not someone they necessarily need to bring back again although if he showed flashes of success, they might want to consider it.

So far this season, Syndergaard is 5-7 with a 4.00 ERA in 14 starts spread across 74.1 innings of work. His strikeout numbers are way down from what he used to have during his best days with the Mets at a rate of seven per nine innings. He looks like a far different pitcher than he did when he battled in the National League East alongside Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and our beloved Zack Wheeler.

Syndergaard would be a flashy addition for the Phillies. It would also help to ignite the rivalry with the Mets further as the two clubs look to secure a playoff spot.

The Atlanta Braves already brought in Robinson Cano right before their most recent series with New York. It didn’t work. Maybe the Phillies have better luck with Syndergaard on the mound against them. It could be worth a shot.