Mets avoid arbitration with Noah Syndergaard, settle at $6 million

The New York Mets and Noah Syndergaard avoided arbitration on Friday, settling on a $6 million salary for 2019. Syndergaard, who earned $2.975 million in 2018, has two more years of arbitration ahead of him until he is eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.

In his fourth big league season, Syndergaard finished with a 3.03 ERA, a 2.80 FIP, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 9.04 K/9 in 25 starts, which resulted in a 4.2 fWAR. He missed some time in the middle of the year with a finger injury and then after contracting hand, foot, and mouth disease, but he was very good when healthy.

Syndergaard saved his best for last, as he pitched two complete games in the final month of the season, including one on the final day of 2018 at Citi Field. Syndergaard will likely open the season as the team’s number two starter behind Jacob deGrom.

The final salary figure is slightly higher than the $5.9 million that MLB Trade Rumors projected for Syndergaard, but lower than the $6.75 million that Cot’s Baseball Contracts estimated. Syndergaard becomes the second player with whom the club reached an agreement with. Last month, the Mets settled on a $3.515 million salary with Travis d’Arnaud to avoid arbitration.