
Bill Kostroun/Associated Press
The New York Mets have reportedly locked down one of their most important players after pitcher Jacob deGrom agreed to an extension Tuesday, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.
Per Martino, the extension is for five years, each of which is guaranteed. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic outlined the terms of the deal:
Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal
DeGrom agreed to new, five-year, $137.5M contract with #Mets, sources tell The Athletic. Covering 2019 to ‘23 with club option for ‘24. Opt-out after ‘22. Deal first reported: @MartinoNYC.
The 30-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, winning a Cy Young Award while posting a major league best 1.70 ERA. He also had a 0.912 WHIP and 269 strikeouts in 217 innings despite going just 10-9.
It was more than enough to earn a contract extension from the Mets and new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, deGrom’s former agent.
DeGrom had previously put pressure on the organization in February by saying he wouldn’t negotiate after the start of the season, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets’ regular-season opener is Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
This is a change from when deGrom was the subject of trade speculation throughout the 2018 season. Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News first reported in June the team would listen to offers, although no club was able to provide enough to get him away from the Mets.
Meanwhile, Van Wagenen seemingly gave the club an ultimatum at the All-Star break.
“Jacob has expressed interest in exploring a long-term partnership that would keep him in a Mets uniform for years to come,” he said in July as the pitcher’s agent, per Rosenthal. “If the Mets don’t share same interest, we believe their best course of action is to seriously consider trade opportunities now.”
Now with control over the team’s operations, Van Wagenen put his money where his mouth was.
DeGrom was the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year and earned All-Star appearances in 2015 and 2018. In 2015, he was key in helping the Mets reach the World Series while posting a 2.88 ERA in four postseason starts.
Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey (now with the Los Angeles Angels) and even Steven Matz might have entered the league with more hype as highly touted prospects, but deGrom has been the most consistent of the group since reaching New York.
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