Former Dodgers Flameout Released by White Sox Amid Comeback Attempt

The trajectory of Noah Syndergaard's career can be measured in dollars and cents.

After the Angels signed the former All-Star to a one-year, $21 million in November 2021, foolishly surrendering a second-round draft pick in the process, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies with a 5-8 record and 3.83 ERA after 15 starts.

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In December 2022, the Dodgers were willing to bet $13 million that Syndergaard might improve in his second full season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He did not.

Syndergaard went 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA in 12 starts with the Dodgers. He was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in July 2023, made six more starts, and hasn't pitched at the big league level since.

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Undeterred, Syndergaard signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in June. The 32-year-old went back to Camelback Ranch (the spring training facility shared by the White Sox and Dodgers) for the first time in two years.

Although Syndergaard was later re-assigned to the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, his comeback bid ended there. Sunday, he was released.

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Syndergaard pitched only eight innings in his two starts for Triple-A Charlotte, going 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA. He allowed 10 hits, nine runs, and struck out only one batter.

Syndergaard made four starts for the White Sox's Arizona Complex League affiliate, going 1-0 with a 2.93 ERA in four starts.

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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post on Twitter/X, Syndergaard made $30,000 a month while in the minors. He had an opt-out clause if he was not in the majors by Aug. 1, but that proved to be a moot point.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and gifted with the pithy-yet-appropriate nickname "Thor," Syndergaard was among the majors' most intimidating pitchers in his prime. He went 47-31 with a 3.32 ERA in 121 games (120 starts) with the New York Mets from 2015-21.

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As a rookie with the Mets in 2015, his fastball averaged 97.7 mph — the 98th percentile of all major league hurlers, according to Statcast. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after the season.

Despite a five-pitch mix that evolved considerably as he aged, Syndergaard failed to adapt his repertoire in a way that allowed him to endure as a viable starter into his 30s — let alone remain one of the game's elite pitchers.

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