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The Padres have recently inquired on the availability of Noah Syndergaard in a trade, according to Jon Morosi. This isn’t the first time San Diego has expressed interest in Thor, as they checked in with the Mets both at last year’s non-waiver trade deadline and during the offseason.
Syndergaard is having the worst season of his career, running a career-high 4.68 ERA and a career low 8.6 K/9. Advanced metrics still think he’s a borderline elite starter, however, and he’s posted a 3.29 DRA (32% better than league average) and accumulated 2.8 WARP in 2019. Changes to the ball and a sub-optimal pitch mix have hurt Syndergaard in 2019, but the ingredients for a frontline starter are there.
The Padres have arguably the best farm system in baseball, headlined by Mackenzie Gore, Luis Urias, and Luis Patino. San Diego also has a pair of catchers that could help the Mets in Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejia, as well as a plethora of lower-tier prospects to sweeten a potential deal.