Here is the latest buzz and rumors surrounding the Mets ace Jacob deGrom‘s free agency…
Nov. 7, 10:15 am
DeGrom made the expected move official on Monday morning, as the two-time Cy Young winner opted out of the remaining two years of his Mets contract, making him a free agent.
The ace stated multiple times over the past season that he intended to opt out of the five-year, $137.5 million extension that he signed in March of 2019.
DeGrom was set to make $30.5 million in 2023, and had he opted in, the Mets would have had a team option for $32.5 million in 2024.
October 28, 11:28 am
The Texas Rangers are going to “pony up” while making a run at deGrom, a rival predicted to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
The Rangers spent a ton of money last offseason, including inking Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to megadeals, and are now focused on adding starting pitching.
There has been industry speculation that deGrom might want to go to a team like the Atlanta Braves and play closer to his home in Florida than New York is. Texas doesn’t exactly qualify in that regard.
The Mets will attempt to re-sign deGrom, SNY’s Andy Martino reported earlier this month, adding that the club was unsure how aggressive that effort would be.
There is an expectation that deGrom could be seeking the highest average annual value ever for a pitcher — a record currently held by Max Scherzerwho is making $43.3 million per year in his current three-year deal with the Mets.
October 28, 9:12 am
Former Mets and current Philadelphia Phillies pitchers Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard weighed in on the deGrom situation on Thursday as they prepared for Game 1 of the World Series.
“He told me he is happy there,” Wheeler told Mike Puma of The New York Post. “I just think he wants to get compensated for what he’s done.”
Added Wheeler about the five-year, $137.5 million extension deGrom signed with the Mets before the 2019 season:
“I don’t think it was the right compensation at the time,” Wheeler said. “I can’t speak for him, it’s a lot of money and it’s life-changing money and I think anybody would have taken that at the time. But at the same time people have seen what he’s done and maybe you can correct it along the way, and this is his chance to correct it.”
Syndergaard told The Post he would be “surprised” if deGrom left the Mets:
“With Steve Cohen anything is possible, especially when you have a pitcher like deGrom — he’s got the potential and stuff to be the best pitcher ever to walk this earth,” Syndergaard said. “I just hope that he stays healthy.”
In other Syndergaard buzz, before he wound up with the Phillies he told the Los Angeles Angels that he would rather not be in Philadelphia or with any team in the same division as the Mets, reports Jon Heyman of The Post.
However, Heyman notes that Syndergaard now “loves it” in Philadelphia.