Mets GM Brodie Van Waganen said he believes Noah Syndergaard will be a key player for the Mets going forward, but that hasn't stopped other teams from expressing interest in the power-throwing pitcher.
The San Diego Padres, who last year had MLB.com's top-ranked farm system, have reportedly remained interested in trading for Synderaard, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The Padres in July reached out to the Mets regarding Syndergaard, who went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 25 starts last season, but nothing came about it.
At the GM Meetings in early November, Van Waganen said he wouldn't "rule out anything," and that remark included the possibility of trading Syndergaard or Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
The next day, he walked back those comments, saying, "I think Jacob and Noah have been and will continue to be really important pieces in this organization. ... I think my comments were to the same point that I would characterize all of our roster right now. We're going to continue to look for ways to improve the club. I love our starting pitching, I love our rotation right now."
The 26-year-old Syndergaard, who according to MLBTradeRumors.com is projected to earn $5.9 million in arbitration for 2019, has been a main piece in New York's rotation since debuting in 2015.
Though he was limited to seven starts in 2017 due to a torn lat, he has gone 37-22 with a 2.93 ERA in 87 career games (86 starts) with 573 strikeouts in 518 1/3 innings.