The New York Mets are trying to serve the new location of their Triple-A affiliate, but the pitching mounds they’re using in Syracuse are simply dangerous.
On Sunday, New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard lamented the fact Jacob deGrom didn’t have a new contract and went on to criticize the idea of a token workout in Syracuse two days before Opening Day. The team took care of the deGrom matter on Tuesday morning, but it turns out Syndergaard was on to something regarding the workout.
The Mets’ plane remained on the ground in Florida for over three hours Monday night, delaying the team’s arrival in Syracuse until nearly midnight. Syndergaard used the down time on the plane to do a Twitter AMA, with some grumpy, short answers.
Beyond the short turnaround, later made shorter by the delayed flight of course, Syndergaard mentioned the likelihood of less than major league-worthy accommodations in Syracuse.
I’m sure the amenities in Syracuse aren’t the best for a Major League Baseball team to go out there and have one last workout before the regular season starts,
I don’t think that’s the way to go. I don’t think that’s what championship teams do prior to the season.
From inside the Carrier Dome, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post, we got some evidence backing up Syndergaard’s concerns.
That looks like an injury waiting to happen for any pitcher. Syndergaard still took the makeshift mound though, probably just to get it out of the way, and completed a throwing session without apparent issue.
The Mets’ trip to Syracuse for a final preseason workout is rooted in an attempt to show support for, and bring local interest in, the organization’s relocated Triple-A affiliate. But based on the dangerous-looking pitching mounds, in a football-first facility no less, the Mets look like a minor league operation.