

It began on the opening day of free agency. They dissected film and scoured the underlying data on his pitches, ensuring there were no apparent health concerns, while also looking for ways Syndergaard could tap back into his raw potential.īy the end of it, “we feel good with where he’s at and his rehab,” Minasian said, noting that Syndergaard - who said his Tommy John recovery is complete and he is back at 100% - had no issues pop up during a physical prior to Tuesday’s signing, either.Īdded Minasian: “I think it’s a good gamble to take.”įirst, though, they still had to woo Syndergaard to come west. Members of the front office, coaching staff, analytics department and medical team all reviewed Syndergaard’s two one-inning starts at the end of 2021 and his underwhelming 2019 performance, comparing them to the peak years earlier in his career. That process began early in the offseason and involved input from people across the Angels organization. “As far as man hours, the amount of work we’ve done,” Minasian said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever done more on an individual player.”

Hoping to finally build a pitching staff capable of competing for a playoff spot, the Angels still saw Syndergaard as a high-upside option whose acquisition would allow them to maintain enough financial flexibility to make other moves this winter and beyond.īut first, they needed to make sure there were no red flags that might affect his performance in 2022. Then he underwent Tommy John surgery the following spring, keeping him out for all of 2020 and, after another setback this May, almost all of 2021. Long before Syndergaard started thinking about the Angels, the club's personnel were busy vetting him.įrom 2015 to 2018, Syndergaard was one of the sport’s best young pitchers, posting a 2.93 ERA over his first four seasons while averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings.īut he suffered a setback in 2019 with a career-worst 4.28 ERA. "I think it was time for a change in scenery, just so I could get back to my old self," Syndergaard said, adding, “It was the hardest decision of my life, but I definitely think I made the right decision.” The hard-throwing 29-year-old signed a one-year, $21-million contract with the Angels - the largest single-season salary for a pitcher in franchise history - and discussed it publicly for the first time during a video call with reporters Friday. What followed was an all-out pursuit from the Angels, a glaring lack of contact by the Mets and an eventual change of heart from Syndergaard. “Going through each and every available player, he stood out.” “It was somebody we had our eye on at the beginning of the offseason,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. And they quickly identified Syndergaard as a risky but potentially transformative option, one capable of kickstarting what they hope will be an extensive winter makeover on the mound. They sought aggressive arms capable of setting a tone for their staff. On the other side of the country, however, one team had the right-hander in its sights. all rights reserved."It would be a tough pill to swallow," he said, "not wearing a Mets jersey next year." They say ask, as you may be surprised even if you don’t think you are eligible for help.Ĭopyright © 2021 KFSN-TV. The Tulare County Public Defender’s Office will continue to disseminate information about the Clean Slate project in the coming months. “It goes down the road, the road, the road.” “There is a lot of research showing that if you get a job and have the ability to provide the idea that you commit a crime for yourself and your family, it just flattens.” Said Casebeer. “Īs far as the overall benefit to society is concerned, the Public Defender Office says it helps reduce recidivism. As I said, they paid their membership fees to society to give them the opportunity to apply for a job without having to pop it up in their records. That is: to give someone a clean condition.

“If it is a felony, it can be a reduction to a misdemeanor, but it often results in fewer crimes as shown in their records, and the point is to do exactly what the program says. “It’s not necessarily a severance,” Casebeer said. “Therefore, if someone is currently on probation under the old terms, you can petition the court to change those terms to the new terms,” she said. Recently, Flores gave a presentation to Porterville College students about the Clean Slate project, explaining various forms of remedies, from eradication and dismissal to the early termination of probation.
