The Cleveland Guardians are desperately clinging to the edges of the playoff chase. As such, they are rolling the dice on a former top of the rotation arm.
The Guardians and Dodgers matched up on a trade of mutual needs on Wednesday night. Amed Rosario was sent to Los Angeles, with Noah Syndergaard and cash heading back to Cleveland. This is the second move that the Dodgers have made to shore up the middle of their infield as they brought Kike Hernandez back in a deal with the Red Sox on Tuesday.
Noah Syndergaard worth a look for Cleveland Guardians
Rosario has posted a somewhat underwhelming .265/.306/.369 batting line in his 412 plate appearances with 19 doubles. However, his underlying metrics show that he is essentially the same player he has been over the past couple of years, making solid contact while drawing few walks. A slow start has depressed his overall numbers on the season. The problem is that his defense has completely fallen off.
Syndergaard is not close to being the same pitcher he was early in his career. The Dodgers had hoped that they would be able to tap into his previous talent but had been unable to. He had posted a miserable 7.16 ERA and a 1.446 WHiP over his 55.1 innings, striking out 38 batters with nine walks. Syndergaard also has not pitched in the majors since June 8 due to blister issues, although he had a pair of rehab starts under his belt.
But the Guardians may not have a better option. Injuries have decimated their rotation, contributing to their 50-51 record heading into the day. If nothing else, Syndergaard is a veteran presence that can help the young pitchers on their staff. The only question is if he has anything left. The Guardians are hoping that is the case.
The Cleveland Guardians have acquired Noah Syndergaard for Amed Rosario. It is a perfect swap in terms of filling needs.
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