Folks, things are off to the races. We wondered if Eduardo Rodriguez yesterday would open things up, and sure enough, we’re off and running now.
Jose Berrios just signed a monster extension with the Blue Jays, and Noah Syndergaard – qualifying offer attached, and barely having pitched the last two years – is possibly going to be next:
Noah Syndergaard is making progress on a deal with the #Angels, source says. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 16, 2021
To be sure, once Syndergaard got the qualifying offer, I figured the Cubs were probably out. They were not going to want to give up the high second rounder, the bonus pool space, and the IFA space just to sign Syndergaard to a short-term, high-AAV deal (which is the kind of deal that makes the most sense for Syndergaard, in my opinion). So I was already bummed.
We’ll see what kind of deal he signs, if it gets to the finish line with the Angels. It makes a lot of sense for them, given their core, his age, and his upside. They arguably need to take huge risks like this on the pitching side, and my guess is they were willing to give him a surprisingly large deal that no other team was going to touch right now.
If the pitching market is exploding right now, and is going to move before the CBA expires, then here’s hoping the Cubs are ready to pounce on preferred targets if their market gets to a point where they’re going to sign one way or another. The Cubs can’t afford to miss out on the guys they like most just because they prefer to wait for the CBA to be resolved.
UPDATE: Wow, well, I was right that it could be a deal no other team was going to touch, but not in the way that I thought:
Noah Syndergaard and the #Angels have made recent progress on a 1-year deal, source says, although final term of contract is unclear. Situation is fluid ahead of tomorrow’s QO acceptance deadline. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 16, 2021
I really loved Syndergaard for the Cubs on a one-year deal. He was going to be my absolute number one target for the offseason. But once he got the qualifying offer, the “cost” to sign him to a one-year deal went up considerably – for the Cubs, a high second round pick, the bonus pool space tied to that pick, and then $500K in IFA money. That’s a lot of prospects lost to sign a guy to a one-year deal when you’re just hoping to be the team to bounce him back. The Cubs have short-term money to use on signings, and that’s what I want to see them do – not necessarily give up more prospect costs for short-term additions.
UPDATE: It’s happening, and it’s for over the qualifying offer amount (as you’d expect):
BREAKING: Right-hander Noah Syndergaard and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $21 million deal, pending physical, sources tell ESPN.
The Angels bolster their staff with the highest-upside arm on the market — and pay a heavy price, plus a second-rounder.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 16, 2021
Given the Angels’ roster, it makes sense for them to ball out on a one-year starting pitcher, more than almost any other team. That said, paying that high of a price, plus the compensatory costs, for a shot at a guy who has essentially not pitched the last two years – it’s about as risky as a one-year deal can get. They say there are no bad one-year deals, and that may still be true. But this is as close as it gets.
THAT SAID … I really like Syndergaard, and I think he could be very, very good once he’s fully clear from surgery. It’s not like he’s old, and when he was healthy, he was an absolute stud.
You can expect now that the Angels could go after another qualified free agent, since the cost for doing so drops (third highest pick).