Cleveland Guardians Surprise by Releasing Pitcher Noah Syndergaard Just Months After Trade

File this under “oh… how about that.” The Cleveland Guardians have taken an unexpected turn, parting ways with a recently acquired pitcher only a month after bringing him onboard in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The pitcher in question is none other than the former Angels’ right-hander, Noah Syndergaard.

The decision was reported first by Robert Murray of FanSided. In the previous year, Syndergaard faced continuous challenges since his trade from the Angels to the Phillies. Struggling with an uphill battle, he maintained a 4.12 ERA across 10 games during his time in Philadelphia. Notably, he was even removed from the starting rotation during the Phillies’ surprising journey to the World Series.

Shifting gears, Syndergaard signed a significant $13 million deal with the Dodgers. However, his performance didn’t align with the expectations, as he posted a high 7.16 ERA over 12 starts. Eventually, the Dodgers sidelined him due to injury, keeping him on the injured list for over a month. This led to his eventual trade to the Cleveland Guardians, with Amed Rosario going the other way.

Soon, Syndergaard will reenter the free agent market. Despite a moderately successful stint with the Halos in 2022, it’s unlikely that Perry Minasian, the Angels’ decision-maker, will consider reacquiring him.

The Cleveland Guardians and the Angels have both hit rough patches since the trade deadline a month ago. Realistically speaking, they’ve slipped out of the race for the AL Wild Card positions as September approaches.

Heading into Monday’s games, the Angels find themselves trailing by 10.5 games from the final Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Guardians are just one game behind, trailing by 11.5 games.