The White Sox have reportedly signed right-hander Noah Syndergaard to a minor league deal. He has reported to the team’s complex in Glendale, according to CHSN’s Chuck Garfein.
Syndergaard last pitched in the majors in 2023, making 12 starts for the Dodgers and six for the Guardians. Over 88.2 innings, he posted a 6.50 ERA, walked a career-high 6.9% of batters, and allowed opponents to hit .291 against him. He also recorded a career-low strikeout rate of just 12.4%.
It’s a far cry from the pitcher who burst onto the scene in 2015, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting with a 3.24 ERA over 150 innings with the Mets. The following year, Syndergaard—nicknamed “Thor”—earned an All-Star nod after posting a 2.60 ERA, striking out 29.3% of batters and generating a 50.5% ground ball rate over 183.2 innings.
Over his first five seasons with the Mets, Syndergaard compiled a 3.31 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate across 716 innings, leading the league with two complete games in 2018.
Injuries have taken a toll on the 32-year-old. Syndergaard underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2020 to repair a torn UCL, sidelining him for the entire 2020 season and limiting him to just two innings in 2021. But the injury concerns began well before that. He was limited to just seven starts (30.1 innings) in 2017 due to a torn lat, and in 2018, he landed on the injured list twice — once for a torn ligament in his finger and again after a bizarre bout with hand, foot, and mouth disease.
The Angels signed Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million deal during the 2021 offseason, forfeiting a draft pick after the Mets extended him a qualifying offer. They hoped he could return to the All-Star form he showed before surgery.
But Syndergaard failed to replicate that success, owning a 3.83 ERA and striking out 64 batters across 80 innings. He was dealt to the Phillies during the 2022 trade deadline and saw his K rate dip to 13.9% while opponents batted .290 off of him.
He signed with the Dodgers in free agency in 2023 but was quickly traded to Cleveland at the trade deadline before getting released by the Guardians in August after allowing 20 earned runs across 33.1 innings.
The White Sox are now taking a flier on him after he didn’t pitch at all during the 2024 season. Syndergaard should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself. The White Sox are looking to protect their stable of young arms, with Davis Martin and Jonathan Cannon each working their way back from the IL.
Getz told reporters after trading for Aaron Civale that the team could turn to a six-man rotation. Getz has already added Adrian Houser to the fold after veteran starter Martín Perez landed on the 60-day IL with a left forearm strain.
Houser is expected to be a trade deadline piece, and Civale could be too if he puts together some solid outings. That makes the Syndergaard signing a low-risk, high-reward move, offering some depth and taking pressure off the White Sox’s young arms.
It’s unlikely Syndergaard will return to ace form after missing nearly two years. Since his Tommy John surgery, Thor has looked like a shell of himself, posting a 4.99 ERA and 15.9% strikeout rate. He has also lost at least six miles per hour on a fastball that used to flirt with triple-digits. But the White Sox don’t need him to be an ace. If Syndergaard can just be a reliable MLB starter, this minor league gamble will be a worthwhile investment for Getz.
