Noah Syndergaard calling out Dodgers proves he was a lost cause all along

The Los Angeles Dodgers are notorious for taking flailing MLB pitchers and getting the most out of them before sending them on their way to another team. When the team signed former ace Noah Syndergaard to a one-year deal in the winter, it appeared as if there was going to be another example of the Dodgers working their magic.

Except the opposite result happened. Syndergaard was awful during his short-lived tenure with the Dodgers. Thor made just 12 starts for the team and sported a 7.16 ERA and 1.446 WHIP. This makes Syndergaard just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to make 10 or more starts with the team and have an ERA over seven.

After a stint on the IL and with the OKC Dodgers, Los Angeles flipped Syndergaard in a one-for-one trade with the Cleveland Guardians for Amed Rosario. Both teams sent disappointing assets away, with each club hoping that it can unlock something the other team couldn't.

Syndergaard is certainly hoping the Guardians can unlock something because, if not, his MLB career is likely over. It appears that Syndergaard thinks he still has something left in the tank, as he is subtly blaming his past teams for his struggles, including the Dodgers (h/t Paul Hoynes, Cleveland.com).

For the last two years I’ve had a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of people thinking they can come out and fix me,” said Syndergaard, who has pitched for four teams in the three years. “Some of them may have been right. Some of them were right, but the translation wasn’t getting to me.

I just think (I should) go out there and not really listen to what people think I should and should not be doing, but just do what feels good and natural to me. I feel some people are trying to get me to do certain things that aren’t characteristic to how I used to pitch.

Noah Syndergaard proves that the Dodgers were never going to fix him

There is one common denominator between Syndergaard and all the different teams that he struggled on, and it isn't the teams. It is Syndergaard himself. Trying to pinpoint the blame on these other teams for trying to fix him, when that is the entire reason he signed with the Dodgers in the first place, lacks self awareness.

Plus, Syndergaard needs to let go of the pitcher he used to be. When Thor first came into the league, yes, he was a hard thrower that was able to dominate hitters with his velocity. Then he got hurt (multiple times), got older, and lost his velocity. Once again, this showcases a lack of self-awareness from Syndergaard, who said before the season that he didn't see why he couldn't get back to 100 MPH in 2023.

Syndergaard's four-seamer velocity, per Baseball Savant, averaged out at 92.6 MPH with the Dodgers. In 2015, he averaged 97.7 MPH. He hasn't learned to pitch without that velocity (which is how Clayton Kershaw has stayed elite). Instead, he seems to be blaming his previous teams for not letting him be his old self?

Syndergaard's old self is gone and he is not coming back. These comments show that he wasn't trying to find a new way to be successful with the Dodgers. He was trying to grasp onto a pitcher who simply isn't here anymore. It was never, ever, going to work in Los Angeles.