Mets’ Noah Syndergaard would fit well with Yankees, ex-teammate says

The Mets might look into trading aces Noah Syndergaard and/or Jacob deGrom. The Yankees need a starting pitcher with Masahiro Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery on the disabled list. Ex-Met and current Yankee Neil Walker has high praise for Syndergaard, his former teammate in Queens.

NEW YORK — Adding Mets stud righty Noah Syndergaard would go over well in the Yankees‘ clubhouse, his former teammate said.

“If he were to be an addition to our team,” Yankees infielder Neil Walker said Tuesday in the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, “it would be well-received.”

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Of course, it would seem only in a dream that the Yankees and Mets could match up for a blockbuster trade.

The Mets surely would be sick watching Syndergaard dominate in the Bronx. And the Yankees would probably have to surrender more than most other teams to attain him from their rival neighbors — call it a city tax.

But listening Walker, who was with the Mets for Syndergaard’s All-Star 2016 campaign and part of 2017, makes it sound like the 6-foot-6 fireballer might be worth the price.

“Noah is one of the rare guys in baseball that can just completely overpower a whole lineup,” Walker said.

“Not just one time through, two times through — I’ve seen him just blow away guys from the first pitch of the game to the last pitch of the game. He’s super competitive, big, strong guy. He wants the ball. Just one of these guys that is an asset to any team that he’s on, really.”

Speculation has run rampant that the Yankees and Mets could match up in a trade that would send either Syndergaard or co-ace Jacob deGrom into pinstripes.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has called boosting the starting rotation “a need.” Outside of righty Luis Severino, the Yankees don’t at this point realistically know what to expect from the rest of their starters from both performance and health standpoints.

The Mets could listen to trade offers on either of their best young players if they decide they’re out of the playoff race. They started Tuesday 10 games back in the National League East and 6 1/2 games back in the Wild Card.

Syndergaard is currently on the disabled list, nursing a strained ligament in his right index finger since May 29. He’s on a throwing program and the team expects him to need “at least one” rehab start, pitching coach Dave Eiland told reporters.

Syndergaard is 4-1 in 11 starts with a 3.06 ERA this season.

The 25-year-old Texas native made just seven starts in 2017, dealing with tightness in his right biceps and a torn lat muscle in his right arm.

Syndergaard, who won’t be a free agent until 2022, has a career 2.92 ERA and strikes out 10.4 batters per nine innings.

Walker said Syndergaard has no problem pitching under the microscope in Queens and that he’d handle the Bronx just fine.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Walker said. “Like I said, New York is New York, and obviously each year there’s going to be different expectations on each side of town, but a guy like Noah, he wouldn’t get rattled, I truly believe, by big situations, big stages and things like that.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.