Noah Syndergaard to the bullpen is still a possibillity

Before Noah Syndergaard took the mound last night and put together yet another dominant performance against the Toronto Blue Jays, Sandy Alderson talked about what may lie ahead for the young right hander.

Alderson discussed the possibility of moving Syndergaard to the bullpen sometime later this season when speaking with reporters yesterday. He said that this doesn’t have anything to do with how the rookie’s been pitching, but it’s about protecting one of his young arms.

"I wouldn’t rule out the possibility at any time during the year, It actually goes back to this question about managing innings. It’s another way to manage innings."

Syndergaard seems like the prime candidate to take a trip to the bullpen, should a move be made. Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom aren’t going to be sent to the bullpen, and it wouldn’t make sense for Steven Matz to come up and switch roles so quickly. This possibility of moving Syndergaard was actually discussed earlier in the year after Jenrry Mejia was suspended for 80 games for failing a drug test, but the front office decided against it. The Mets reportedly like the idea of Syndergaard out of the bullpen because his mix of high velocity fastballs and power curveballs seems like an ideal fit for a setup man, something the bullpen has lacked consistently all season.

In seven career MLB starts, Syndergaard in 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA, and has 45 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. He’s scheduled to pitch next on Saturday against the Braves in Atlanta.