The Dodgers have reached a one-year agreement with veteran starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is worth $13 million in guaranteed salary, with an additional $1.5 million in incentives, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
The move brings Syndergaard, 30, back to Southern California after a brief return to the East Coast. After spending his first seven seasons with the Mets, Syndergaard signed a one-year contract with the Angels last winter. He then was sent to the Phillies at the trade deadline. In total, Syndergaard went 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA over 134 2/3 innings in 2022, and he helped Philadelphia make a run to the World Series.
The Dodgers have yet to officially announce the deal, though Syndergaard himself hinted at it on Twitter.
Syndergaard missed the entire 2020 season and pitched just two innings in ’21 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made it through ’22 fully healthy, though he had diminished velocity on his fastball and saw a drastic downturn in his strikeout rate, with a career low 6.35 strikeouts per nine innings.
The acquisition marks the first notable addition for the Dodgers this offseason after re-signing pitcher Clayton Kershaw and adding veterans Shelby Miller and Jason Heyward on lesser deals. Syndergaard will be counted on to bolster a rotation that has seen departures from key arms from a season ago in Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney.
The Dodgers also have seen several other players from last year’s team sign elsewhere, including Trea Turner (Phillies), Cody Bellinger (Cubs) and Chris Martin (Red Sox).
