The White Sox released former All-Star Noah Syndergaard on Sunday.
The White Sox signed the right-hander to a minor league deal on June 24, then promoted him to Triple-A Charlotte on July 18, after Syndergaard threw 15.1 innings across six games in the Arizona Complex League, posting a 2.93 ERA. However, his deal included a release clause if he was not on the big-league roster by August 1.
Syndergaard made just two starts with the Charlotte Knights, getting tagged for nine earned runs in eight innings of work. The White Sox took a flier on him, hoping to add depth to their pitching staff and ease the burden on their young arms.
However, even in a limited sample size, it became apparent to the organization that he was unlikely to regain the form that once made him a standout, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and earning an All-Star selection the following season, when he posted a 2.60 ERA and struck out 29.3% of batters faced.
Syndergaard last pitched in the majors on Aug. 27, 2023, making 12 starts for the Dodgers and six for the Guardians that season. Over 88.2 innings, he posted a 6.50 ERA, walked a career-high 6.9% of batters, and allowed opponents to hit .291 against him. He also recorded a career-low strikeout rate of just 12.4%.
Injuries have taken a toll on the 32-year-old. Syndergaard underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2020 to repair a torn UCL, sidelining him for the entire 2020 season and limiting him to just two innings in 2021. But the injury concerns began well before that. He was limited to just seven starts (30.1 innings) in 2017 due to a torn lat, and in 2018, he landed on the injured list twice — once for a torn ligament in his finger and again after a bizarre bout with hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Since his Tommy John surgery, Thor has looked like a shell of himself, posting a 4.99 ERA and 15.9% strikeout rate. He has also lost at least six miles per hour on a fastball that used to flirt with triple-digits. With the team playing better baseball as of late, there was simply no need for the eight-year MLB veteran on the roster.
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