When (if?)  the Mets honestly assess themselves in the coming days, both before and after they presumably part ways with Mickey Callaway, they must ask themselves the right question when determining where to go from here with Noah Syndergaard. 

A discussion of “Does he fit with what we’re trying to do here?”  does not sufficiently drill down to the heart of the matter.  Here’s what they must contemplate:

“Can we be the organization that allows him to be his best self?” 

If the answer to that is “No”?  then they should liberate Thor from this purgatory and let him conquer new lands — and stock their hurting farm system in the process. 

The 2019 Mets season concluded Sunday afternoon in characteristically roller-coaster fashion, Dom Smith’s first at-bat since July 26 producing a walk-off, three-run homer to give the Mets an 11-inning, 7-6 victory over the Braves at Citi Field.  Before the late-inning zaniness that also featured two homers by angry ex-Met Adeiny Hechavarria, Syndergaard ended his worst full big-league season on a positive note, allowing three runs and five hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out nine. 

“Huge,” Syndergaard said. “…  To be able to finish on a high note personally and as a team is something we can take into this offseason and build off of that.” 

About that offseason, and the likelihood that the Mets will at least consider trading Syndergaard for the third time in a year, “I’m confident that, going into spring training next year, we’ll be reporting to beautiful Port St. Lucie and being a Met,” he said. “ I love being a Met.  It has a special place in my heart.” 

Will the feeling be mutual?  Don’t overlook that many pitchers would kill for a 4.28 ERA in 197 ⅔ innings, in a season defined by the juiced baseball, to rank as their worst.  Syndergaard’s predictive metrics (FIP, xFIP and xwOBA) all bode well for him moving forward — he was victimized by some bad defense and bad luck, in other words — and when you throw in the number of teams, including possibly all 15 National League clubs, that will be acting aggressively to improve this winter, my hunch is that a healthy demand would exist for Syndergaard, 27, who can become eligible for free agency after the 2021 season. 

The Mets owe it to themselves to explore this possibility, and that’s before we even discuss their turbulence with Syndergaard. 

Just as his mound struggles peaked early (a 6.35 ERA in March/April) and late (4.93 in September), his valid complaints about the Mets’ baseball operations earned him backpage headlines at the outset and down the home stretch.  Early, he assumed a leadership role to castigate his superiors for a silly travel schedule, including a trip to Syracuse for a workout there, as the Mets broke camp. 

“I don’t think that is what championship teams do prior to the season,” Syndergaard said, correctly. 

Nor do championship teams turn down a pitcher’s request to work with a specific catcher in the heart of a pennant race — with expanded September rosters, to boot — yet that’s what the Mets opted to do when Syndergaard privately expressed his discomfort over working with No.1 catcher Wilson Ramos, whose defensive deficiencies are well known. 

The Mets finished general manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s freshman campaign 86-76, a 10-win increase over last season.  It’s all relative, though, right?  The Braves (six wins), Nationals (11 wins) and Phillies (one win) all got better, too. 

With Zack Wheeler a decent bet to depart via free agency, the Mets would not be in optimal position to trade Syndergaard, to further weaken a growing weakness.  But if they can’t change and grow with their stud right-hander, then they’d be better off parting ways now. 

“I think we’re all on the same page,” Syndergaard said of himself, Van Wagenen and Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, “and we’re all part of something huge here.  I want to be part of it next year.” 

The key to success just might be self-awareness.  Can the Mets fix themselves, act more like a championship organization, to make the right call on Syndergaard?