The Mets and Noah Syndergaard agreed Tuesday to a one-year, $9.7 million contract for 2021, avoiding arbitration. The news was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Syndergaard, 28, was eligible for salary arbitration for the fourth and final time this offseason. He also agreed to a $9.7 million contract during the 2019-20 offseason but did not pitch this past year while recovering from March Tommy John surgery.
The Mets now have nine players who can file for salary arbitration in January: Miguel Castro, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Edwin Diaz, Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, Brandon Nimmo, Amed Rosario, and Dominic Smith.
Jacob Barnes, Guillermo Heredia, and Steven Matz reached agreements prior to the Dec. 2 tender deadline while Chasen Shreve and Nick Tropeano were not offered contracts and became free agents.
Mets president Sandy Alderson said last week that he expects Syndergaard to return to the major leagues in June, which would put his recovery time at 15 months. The average return-to-MLB time for surgeries performed between 2016 and 2017 was 19.8 months, according to Jon Roegele.
Syndergaard posted a 3.60 FIP and 4.4 WAR in 2019, placing him in the top 20 among qualified major league starters. His 18.8 WAR since his debut in 2015 ranks tenth league-wide.
Barring an extension or an acceptance of the qualifying offer, Syndergaard will hit the open market as a free agent next offseason.
The Mets and their remaining arbitration-eligible players have until Jan. 12 to agree to terms before the players can file. After that point, teams generally cut off negotiations until the hearings are complete.
