A nightmare scenario could be in the process of playing out for the Yankees.
Noah Syndergaard, the Mets righty with major talent, team control and the stuff to become a true ace, to the Houston Astros. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Houston has been the team “most aggressively” going after Syndergaard.
Here’s why a Syndergaard-to-Houston deal would be a huge blow to the Yankees—both in the near and long term.
Double-whammy: It’s one thing if Syndergaard ends up with the Braves or Padres. The odds of Syndergaard coming back to bite the Yankees on a National League team are slim. The Astros represent the opposite: the biggest obstacle to the Yankees getting through the American League and the World Series this coming October.
If Trevor Bauer stays in Cleveland, one, true difference-making power arm is on the market: Syndergaard. The AL pennant could be won by which contender lands him by July 31.
Gerrit Cole replacement: Technically, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman doesn’t have to make 2019 a “win at all costs” year. The Yankees are young, smartly run and set up to win big for years to come. But here’s where Syndergaard to the Astros hurts this long-range window: Acquiring the hard-throwing righty would give Houston a longer window of contention, especially with Cole set to hit the open market this winter.
Perfect acquisition won’t arrive again anytime soon: Syndergaard checks all the boxes for this Yankees group:
-Young
-Upside of an ace
-Generates strikeouts and ground balls
-Can pitch in New York
-Under club control through 2021, giving the Yankees two years with a top-of-the-rotation arm at a below-market rate—something that matters with an ownership group that believes Cashman can build a champion without exceeding the top of the luxury tax threshold.
The Yankees could, in theory, reallocate the resources currently being offered for Syndergaard into another trade in the near future. But will there be a pitcher that checks all (or close to all) of those boxes? It’s hard to imagine.
Will have to deal with him for years: That club control stings even more if Syndergaard is in the AL and with a great organization. The idea of the Yankees qualifying for one or more World Series in the next three years seems logical right now. If Syndergaard ends up on the Astros, that changes.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.