Angels Castoff, Former All-Star Gets $1.75 Million in Longshot Comeback Bid

Practically out of nowhere, the Chicago White Sox signed Syndergaard to a minor league contract Monday and assigned him to their Arizona Complex League affiliate. Still just 32 years old, Syndergaard will have a chance to show the White Sox that he has some life left in his once-powerful right arm.

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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post on Twitter/X, Syndergaard will make a prorated portion of $1.75 million if he reaches the majors, and $30,000 a month while he's in the minors. He can opt out of his contract if he is not promoted to the big leagues by Aug. 1.

For the White Sox, it's a low-risk move for a team that figures to be a seller at the July 31 trade deadline for the third consecutive season. Chicago is 25-54, a 51-win pace, after setting a modern record with 121 losses a year ago.

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For Syndergaard, it's a chance to appear in a major league game for the first time since 2023, when he made 18 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians, who released him at midseason.

Neither the Guardians nor the Dodgers could "fix" the towering right-hander, who had a 6.50 ERA in his final big league tour of duty.

Syndergaard went 47-31 with a 3.32 ERA in 121 games (120 starts) with the New York Mets from 2015-21.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and gifted with the divine nickname "Thor," Syndergaard was among the majors' most intimidating pitchers in his prime.

As a rookie with the Mets in 2015, his fastball averaged 97.7 mph, according to Statcast. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting after that season and helped the Mets reach the World Series.

In 2016, Syndergaard posted a career-low 2.60 ERA (155 ERA+) across 30 starts for the Mets.

An elbow injury limited Syndergaard to two starts from 2020-21. When he returned in 2022 with the Angels, Syndergaard's fastball was down four ticks from its peak, and he was primarily a changeup/sinker/slider pitcher. He went 5-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 15 starts with the Angels before his trade to the contending Phillies.

Syndergaard helped the Phillies reach the World Series, but he again fell short of winning a ring, this time losing in six games to the Houston Astros.

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