The Los Angeles Angels finally decided to make a big investment in the pitching department. According to the Angels’ announcement on Tuesday, the team agreed to a one-year contract with right-hand pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
According to multiple reports, Syndergaard will receive $21 million in 2022. He previously rejected an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the New York Mets.
The move represents a step forward for the Angels after they struggled with getting reliable pitching from their rotation in 2021 past two-way star Shohei Ohtani. But it is also a big gamble, considering that Syndergaard only has two innings to his name since 2019.
Ahead of the 2020 MLB season, Syndergaard was diagnosed with torn ulnar collateral ligament and had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He didn’t return until September this year, when he made two starts for the Mets and pitched an inning apiece in each game. The 29-year-old had 9.00 ERA combined while giving up three hits and striking out two.
It was widely expected that Syndergaard would take the qualifying offer from the Mets and rebuild his value before entering the free agency next year. Still, it turned out that other MLB teams were not scared by his prolonged absence. The Angels reportedly had to beat out the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees in order to secure his signature.
Noah Syndergaard spent his entire MLB career with the Mets. He has a 47–31 record in the majors with a 3.32 career ERA and 777 strikeouts. His best campaign came in 2016, when he compiled a 14-9 record in 30 starts and earned an All-Star nod.
