Red Sox Trade Rumors: Long-shot blockbuster deals we wish would happen
By Sean Penney
The struggling New York Mets have been rumored to be putting one of their elite starters on the trading block for the better part of two years but haven’t pulled the trigger on a deal yet. It would take a king’s ransom to pry Jacob deGrom away after his Cy Young-caliber season but Syndergaard could be more attainable.
The right-hander has missed time with injuries in each of the last two years but when healthy he’s one of the best pitchers in the game. Syndergaard went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 9.0 K/9 in what was considered a down season by his standards.
David Price is sticking around for the remainder of his contract but Chris Sale and Rick Porcello could both hit free agency after next season. Boston may be enticed with the idea of defending their title with a loaded rotation while protecting themselves long-term in the event they lose either or both of their impending free agent starters next year. Syndergaard is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and remains under team control until 2022.
The price would be steep but Thor is the type of talent worth giving up a blue-chip prospect or two for considering his production and years of control. Pairing a young rotation replacement such as Eduardo Rodriguez with one of their top hitting prospects would be a fair starting point.