The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a few interesting moves so far this off-season, bringing back Andrew McCutchen, signing veteran left-hand starter Martin Perez, and recently signing Aroldis Chapman, the left-hand reliever, to bolster their bullpen. The team wants to add veteran leadership to the mix of young talent on the current Major League roster while they wait for additional young talent to move up the ranks. Recently, the team has been mentioned as a serious contender for Noah Syndergaard, the Veteran right-hander.
Noah Syndergaard by the Numbers
Syndergaard spent last year between the Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians going 2-6 with a 6.50 ERA, 18 games, 88.2 innings with 56 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.387. He last threw over 100 innings in the 2022 season. Syndergaard is not the Thor from the early days with the Mets, but if healthy, it can be a back end of the rotation project.
Summary
While I do not have high expectations for Syndergaard this season, I think he could be an arm that, if he stays healthy, could benefit the Pirates as a number 4 starter. The Pirates have Skenes in the minors, who could potentially be up with the big club early in the season, if not right away, but if signed, Syndergaard could be just a stopgap until Skenes is ready for the big leagues. In the end, if signed, the Pirates have options in the rotation as long as everyone can remain somewhat healthy.
