Palladino: Syndergaard To The Bullpen? It Shouldn't Even Be A Consideration
By Ernie Palladino
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It seems Sandy Alderson is driving himself batty with possibilities for limiting his porcelain dolls' -- er, starting pitchers' -- innings.
The latest is a revisitation of the Noah Syndergaard-to-the-bullpen scenario. Alderson reportedly first brought that one up in April for a different reason. Closer Jenrry Mejia had just been suspended 80 games on a PED violation, and Alderson figured that the hard-throwing Syndergaard would fit in nicely as a late-inning reliever.
Things have changed. Now that Jeurys Familia has proven so competent that his 32 1/3 innings pitched leads all major league closers, the focus has shifted to saving Syndergaard some innings. Why that has become such an issue with a perfectly healthy, strong, effective pitcher speaks to the modern myth that fewer innings means fewer injuries. And Alderson would have a point if the general roll call of elbow and forearm injuries had decreased even a smidge since GMs and managers became obsessed with workloads a few years ago.
But things are what they are, and the folks who run teams will think how they think. But if Alderson is smart, he'll leave Syndergaard alone, along with the rest of the rotation. Even after Steven Matz and his electric stuff makes the trip from Triple-A Las Vegas to the big club, Alderson shouldn't do a thing to disrupt the good thing his starting arms have going.
Alderson will be tempted, for sure. Matz will make six starters -- Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Bartolo Colon, Jon Niese and Syndergaard comprising the existing five. The addition of Matz will create a logjam, but moving a young guy who seems to have gotten back on track with the post-first-inning, 11-strikeout clinic he put on to simmer down the Blue Jays Monday night would be wrong.
So, how best to deal with Matz's imminent promotion without tempting Terry Collins with another six-man rotation gambit?
Niese could be the key figure in that.
Either stick him in the bullpen or make him part of a package that will bring the bat the Mets need.
Niese alone, of course, won't get that player. He's struggling at 3-6 with a 4.24 ERA, and is 0-1 with a 4.76 mark over his last three outings. He did show signs of turning it around his last start, with a seven-inning, two-run no-decision against San Francisco last week.
Alderson said he has one trade bullet to fire, so he has to make the most of it at the right moment. This might be it. Getting rid of the veteran southpaw would create a natural opening for Matz and factor into bringing a usable bat to a lineup that probably won't see David Wright until after the All-Star break.
Until that trade possibility materializes, though, Niese can go to the bullpen and fill the role the just-departed Dillon Gee could not.
Whatever the case, Alderson needs to keep Syndergaard in the rotation and let him work. Forget about the 70 1/3 innings he's already amassed in 12 major and minor league starts. Forget that his projected 174 innings this year will far surpass his career-high 133 innings last year and will destroy an arm that already has 45 strikeouts in 40 2/3 major league innings.
And let Matz work when he gets up here, regardless of the 78 1/3 innings he has already logged in Las Vegas.
That would mean Alderson and Collins would have to abandon the innings limits.
Then again, there's no sense worrying about September and October unless they take care of business in June, July and August. To do that, they have to put their best players on the field every day.
The Mets being the Mets, that means keeping their starters in the rotation.
Even the thought of taking Syndergaard out of that formula presents a risk not worth taking.
