MLB Rumors: New York Mets Tried But Failed To Lock In Star Pitcher

The New York Mets have been aggressively trying to keep key players in the mix, an initiative that has resulted differently.

The latest player they tried to lock up was pitcher Jacob DeGrom. Per reports, preliminary talks were held in the MLB offseason, but nothing positive came out of it.

According to Yahoo Sports' Andy Martino, New York discussed a potential contract extension with the starting pitcher, but the discussions did not progress.

For now, this is a dead issue although the Mets are more likely to try again by the offseason. However, it will be a different scenario with other MLB teams likely to join the fray and attempt to pluck the three-time All-Star.

DeGrom has the option of opting out of a five-year, $137.5 million contract he signed in 2019 with the New York Mets. Considering he has been performing well, there is no question that other MLB teams will be keeping tabs on his situation.

If he does opt out, the 32-year-old is likely to be swarmed by offers from other teams.

Since signing that new lease with the Mets, DeGrom won his second Cy Young award in 2019–making it back-to-back.

Aside from that, the Florida native finished third in voting for the 2020 Cy award. That year, he posted a 2.38 ERA in 12 starts and led the National League with 104 strikeouts.

DeGrom has been one of the top pitchers in the MLB the past three seasons. He has a 2.10 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. This was one of the reasons why he got a big extension two years ago.

However, new deals to players like Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg have severely altered the market with DeGrom’s salary of $27.5 million now ranking 17th in the majors and 10th among pitchers.

Given the fluctuating salary numbers, there is a possibility that DeGrom may check the market and see if he can get a better financial offer from other MLB teams.

But before he can do that, the Mets still have a chance to keep him if their offer to the two-time All-MLB first team is too tempting to resist.