After Sunday’s game, assistant general manager John Ricco announced that the Mets promoted veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu and reliever Gonzalez Germen. Both players will join the team on Monday for the start of a three game series against the Colorado Rockies.
Noticeably absent was the Mets’ top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard. Ricco explained why the organization decided against having their young righthander pitch in the majors in 2014.
“We really have been consistent about this being what’s best for him,” Ricco said. “If there were some starting opportunities left, I think it might have been different, but we decided this was the way we wanted to go.”
Syndergaard, 22, was 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA for Triple-A Las Vegas this season, and his 145 strikeouts led the Pacific Coast League.
According to Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal, Ricco admitted that the Mets did discuss bringing Syndergaard up as a reliever, but shelved the idea and opted not to increase his workload and putting him in an unfamiliar role.
Apparently, Syndergaard took to Twitter to express his frustration. Diamond explains:
When one follower asked him, “Why aren’t you pitching in the MLB?” Syndergaard responded, “Good question.” He then retweeted another fan who tweeted, “WE WANT @Noahsyndergaard,” referring to Syndergaard’s verified Twitter handle.
Ricco said that the Mets understand Syndergaard’s frustration and didn’t think his reaction crossed the line.
He added that general manager Sandy Alderson “had a good talk” with Syndergaard regarding the team’s decision and his much-anticipated future.
Earlier in the season, Syndergaard admitted that he was so preoccupied with being promoted to the majors that it was all he could think about and that he would check Twitter and read stories about himself throughout the day. So you could imagine how he must have felt after learning he was heading home and not to Citi Field after Las Vegas was eliminated in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.
Honestly, Sandy Alderson played this properly. There was nothing to gain by having Syndergaard sit in the bullpen for three weeks just so he could make an appearance or two in a meaningless game.
He has his whole future ahead of him and after an up and down season that included a career-high innings workload, two injury scares, and a stint on the DL, the right call was shutting him down and thinking ahead to the 2015 season.
