Ex-ace who fought back against Dodgers' pitching program returns to MLB in bleak spot

The Dodgers' decision to sign Noah Syndergaard on a one-year prove-it deal for 2023 was questionable from the get-go, but Syndergaard wasted no time in proving that even the Dodgers can't always turn coal into diamonds.

He had a 7.16 ERA in 55 1/3 innings, and the Dodgers basically gave him away at the trade deadline, sending him and some cash to the Guardians for Amed Rosario. After the trade, Syndergaard basically said that he hates when teams try to tell him what to do and planned to continue pitching the way he wanted to.

He barely improved in Cleveland, pitching 33 1/3 innings for a 5.40 ERA before being DFA'ed and released in August.

He hasn't found a team to take a flier on him ever since. LA was Syndergaard's third stop in just two years, Cleveland his fourth, and none of the Angels, Phillies, Dodgers, or Guardians could return him to the former glory he once enjoyed with the Mets.

On Tuesday morning, White Sox anchor Chuck Garfien reported that the team had signed Syndergaard to a minor league deal to welcome him back to professional baseball after nearly two years. Good luck with that, Southsiders.

Former Dodgers ace Noah Syndergaard resurfaces in MLB with White Sox minor league deal

What's that expression? Something like, "If everywhere you go smells like s—, maybe it’s time to check your shoes"?

The Dodgers were never going to be able to fix Syndergaard if he was allergic to change from the outset. It's pretty simple baseball logic: a pitcher can be really good for a while, but any combination of age, falling into bad mechanical habits, or the league adjusting to his stuff necessitates change. Syndergaard couldn't get down with that, and it's no surprise that the Dodgers wouldn't want to deal with that kind of ego on top of bad performance.

Maybe, after a year away, Syndergaard has changed his tune. Or maybe not, because the White Sox — though they are better this year — are still a hopeless cause and will basically sign anyone who wants to play to a harmless minor-league deal.

Whatever the case, we shouldn't expect the White Sox to fix him. The South side is still generally where careers go to die, and maybe Syndergaard's career just has a few more gasping breaths in it before he disappears into the ether again.