It has been a disastrous summer for the New York Mets.
Just a month ago, the team had legitimate playoff hopes and title aspirations.
Today, the club’s 2021 season is in flames.
The Mets are four games under .500, and they’re 7.5 games out of a playoff spot in the National League East.
Earlier in the summer, there was talk about the team potentially getting Noah Syndergaard back in time for the playoffs.
Syndergaard hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since 2019 due to Tommy John surgery.
The hope was that the righty was going to be able to join the bullpen and help the Mets with their postseason push.
Unfortunately, the playoffs are out of the picture at this point.
With that in mind, should New York even bother adding him to the bullpen?
This Becomes More Interesting When You Consider Syndergaard’s Contract Situation
Syndergaard is set to become a free agent after the 2021 season ends.
He has spent his entire MLB career with the Mets to this point, but that could change next year.
Does New York want to keep him around?
It’s tough to gauge at this point.
It certainly sounds like he wants to stay.
"I can't imagine leaving New York or leaving the Mets"
Noah Syndergaard talks about his motivation to return to the Mets this season with free agency around the corner pic.twitter.com/DeNfL8Uppo
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 27, 2021
Here’s the thing: No one has any idea what type of pitcher Syndergaard is going to be after undergoing a major surgery like Tommy John.
Will his velocity be impacted?
Will his durability be an issue?
Is he going to produce the same level of results that he did before his surgery?
No one knows for sure.
On that basis, maybe it would be wise for the Mets to try to get a sneak peek at him before the year ends.
We could learn a lot about the 29-year-old over just a few relief appearances.
That information could help New York a lot when it comes time to make a decision about Syndergaard’s future with the organization.
Mets Fans Would Love To See Syndergaard On The Mound This Season
At the end of the day, fans don’t call the shots, but one thing is for sure: Folks in New York would love to see Syndergaard take the mound before the season ends.
It has been an awful year for Mets fans, and it got even uglier this past weekend when Javier Baez essentially called out the fanbase.
Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez and Kevin Pillar were among those Mets players to flash thumbs-down signs after their hits today.
"When we don't get success, we're going to get booed," Báez explained afterward. "So they [the fans] are going to get booed when we get success." pic.twitter.com/TGX55fQM2O
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 29, 2021
Most Mets supporters would presumably like to forget that the 2021 season ever happened, but fans would surely take pleasure in seeing Syndergaard on the mound.
It has been far too long since the flamethrower last played in a big-league game.
It’s easy to forget how dominant he was before he got hurt.
He has a career 3.31 ERA, 2.92 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP.
He was named an All-Star in 2016—a year in which he also received Cy Young and MVP votes—by pitching to a 2.60 ERA, 2.29 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP.
That’s the type of player Syndergaard can be when he’s at his best.
The big question is: Can he get back there?
Perhaps Mets fans will get a look before the season ends.
NEXT: Francisco Lindor Learning About Life In A Major Market