Many in the media are speculating that Noah Syndergaard could be among the Mets jettisoned at the July 31 trade deadline. Don’t believe a word of it — Syndergaard is not going anywhere. And the reason is very simple.
Dealing Syndergaard would signal the beginning of a complete rebuild for the Mets. You need pitching to win, after all, and Syndergaard, despite his struggles, is still a top-flight starter. They need a strong Syndergaard to compete in 2020.
And compete is what the Mets will attempt to do. They already have $127 million in payroll committed for next season, highlighted by nearly $50 million to Yoenis Cespedes and Robinson Cano alone.