Texas Rangers Should Check in With Former Superstar After Stellar Video Emerges

The Texas Rangers have already invited one local boy home this offseason.

Reliever Chris Martin, who was born and raised in Arlington, re-signed with the franchise on a one-year contract after spending the 2018 and part of the 2019 seasons with Texas.

But there is another local product hanging around in free agency that might be worth taking a flier on entering spring training.

Right-hander Noah Syndergaard was, at one time, one of the best starters in baseball. The Mansfield, Texas, product has seen his career derailed by Tommy John surgery back in 2020. He hasn’t been quite the same since.

In fact, he didn’t even pitch in the Majors or minors last year.

But he’s working out again, and he might be worth the Rangers taking a flier on.

The New York Post’s Dan Bartels posted this video of Syndergaard throwing during a workout that Syndergaard posted to Instagram.

No downside to a spring training invite. Noah Syndergaard, 32 — why not?

Could be a great bullpen piece — or 6th starter.pic.twitter.com/pt0t4DSvul
— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) January 31, 2025

Notably, he appears to be working out locally, as the video was also posted by Top Prospect Baseball, a workout facility in Southlake, Texas.

On his Instagram feed, there's a photo of him at Onnit Gym in Austin, along with him wearing a cowboy hat and posing with a fan during a Dallas Stars game in November. He’s also been lifting weights this offseason. He’s working out as if he’ll get a chance with a team this year.

It might not take that much convincing to get Syndergaard to sign a one-year, team-friendly deal so he can pitch close to home — assuming he makes the team. That isn’t a given.

The Rangers have his former New York Mets teammate, Jacob deGrom, at the top of the rotation. Texas also has Nathan Eovaldi, Tyler Mahle, Jon Gray, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter and Cody Bradford as starting options. The Rangers can even slide Dane Dunning in there if needed.

Where Texas really needs help is in the bullpen, and that’s not a role Syndergaard has ever taken on full-time. He’s made just two relief appearances his entire MLB career.

But, for a bullpen that has no natural closer candidate, what if the 32-year-old has something resembling his stuff this year?

A flier on a starter with his credentials to try and build him into a closer isn’t far-fetched. Pitching coach Mike Maddux has done more with far less.

Money might not be an issue for the luxury-tax conscious Rangers. While Syndergaard signed a $13 million deal before the 2023, he will likely get far less than that.

Yes, in 2022-23 he pitched for four teams, went 12-16 with a 4.96 ERA, with 151 strikeouts and 50 walks in 223.1 innings. But, before his Tommy John surgery, he was one of baseball’s best.

He broke into the Majors with the New York Mets in 2015. In a five-year stretch, he helped the Mets reach a World Series, finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting and made the 2016 All-Star team.

From 2015-19 he went 47-30 with a 3.31 ERA with 775 strikeouts and 166 walks.

If the Rangers can sign something resembling that, he’s certainly worth signing and inviting to spring training.