Trade Central: Phillies Bolster Rotation By Adding Noah Syndergaard

After the Phillies and Angels swapped catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe for center fielder Brandon Marsh, the teams hooked up once more before the deadline in a deal that sent righthander Noah Syndergaard to Philadelphia.

Syndergaard will provide rotation stability as the Phillies continue to push for their first postseason berth since 2008, when they won the World Series. 

In exchange, the Angels received former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak and 2019 12th-round pick Jadiel Sanchez, an outfielder with Low-A Clearwater. Moniak and Sanchez ranked as the club’s Nos. 14 and 19 prospects at midseason.

PHILLIES ACQUIRE

Noah Syndergaard, RHP
Age: 29

Formerly one of baseball’s premier starters before injuries took their toll and limited him to just one game in 2021, Syndergaard signed a one-year deal with the Angels this past offseason. He’s not missing bats the way he used to—his 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings are a career-low—and his fastball has lost about three miles per hour since 2019. The break on his curveball has lessened, too, and his overall spin rates are well below league average. Still, he’s taken the ball 15 times this year and will provide some measure of stability for a Phillies rotation in need of reinforcements.

ANGELS ACQUIRE

Mickey Moniak, OF
Age: 24

In 2017, the Phillies had the No. 1 overall pick. They spent it on Moniak, who has not lived up to that draft slot. He’s bounced from Triple-A to the big leagues over the past three seasons, accumulating 93 at-bats in that time. He showed up to spring training stronger this year, and produced exit velocities up to 114 mph, but a broken hand stunted his progress. He returned to the big leagues in late June before being optioned back to Triple-A in mid July. Now, the California native gets a change of scenery and the hope that the Angels can unlock the potential he showed as an amateur.

Jadiel Sanchez, OF
Age: 21

The Phillies drafted Sanchez out of Puerto Rico in the 12th round of the 2019 draft. He used the lost 2020 pandemic season to re-make his body and showed up noticeably stronger heading into 2021. He missed time in 2021 due to injury and is currently on a rehab assignment for an injury sustained this season. At his best, he makes loud contact from both sides of the plate and can recognize spin. His strong throwing arm makes him best suited for right field in the long run.