Syndergaard dominates ChiSox as deadline nears

CHICAGO — If Tuesday marked the swan song of Noah Syndergaard‘s New York Mets career, he made the most of his final outing.

The big righty they call “Thor” went 7 1/3 strong innings, holding the Chicago White Sox to an unearned run and leaving with the Mets holding a 2-1 lead on Tuesday, one day before baseball’s annual trade deadline. Syndergaard held Chicago to five hits while striking out 11 and was left with a no-decision after the White Sox tied the game in the ninth.

After leaving, Syndergaard watched from the dugout as reliever Seth Lugo get Chicago’s Jose Abreu to roll into an inning-ending double play, preserving his chance to pick up a win. He pumped his fist in celebration.

It was Syndergaard’s fourth straight outing in which he’s gone at least seven innings, the type of workload any suitor would love a midseason acquisition to carry. With his 16th career double-digit strikeout performance, Syndergaard has a 3.20 ERA while averaging 6.4 innings per outing over his last 10 starts.

Syndergaard’s name has been a popular one on the rumor mill since spring training. One of baseball’s hardest-throwing starters, the 6-foot-6 Syndergaard routinely touches triple digits with his fastball, a trait that earned him his mythological nickname.

Yet as first-year New York general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has slowly re-shaped the Mets’ roster, Syndergaard has been touted as a trade asset. At 26, he retains two more team-controlled seasons after this one as an arbitration-eligible player. Van Wagenen has been one of baseball’s busier executives this week already, acquiring righty starter Marcus Stroman from Toronto and dealing lefty starter Jason Vargas to NL East rival Philadelphia.

All the activity made Syndergaard something of a curiosity before Tuesday’s game. Would he be scratched? Would he even show up to Guaranteed Rate Field? As it turned out, Syndergaard simply dressed and underwent his normal game-day routine before making his strong start.

Stirring the pot was news that veteran starter Ervin Santana had been scratched from a scheduled outing for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate. Before facing the White Sox, New York manager Mickey Callaway said the club was simply “covering all of our bases” in the event a pitcher was moved. In addition to Syndergaard, free agent-to-be Zack Wheeler has been frequently mentioned as a trade candidate. Wheeler is schedule to start in Chicago on Thursday.

Was Tuesday’s gem it for Thor as a Met? Come Wednesday, we will find out. The final bell on the trade deadline sounds at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday afternoon.