As we focused on the Mets’ contract talks with Francisco Lindor, Michael Conforto and even Noah Syndergaard, the team had still another idea: It was quietly reaching out to its biggest star, Jacob deGrom, about a new deal.
According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, the Mets and deGrom this spring engaged in preliminary discussions on a contract extension. Talks did not progress and are not expected to resume this season. Repeat: This is a dead issue for now.
So why is the information meaningful? Because it shows that the Mets are at least mindful of attempting to head off deGrom’s opt out after the 2022 season, and keep him with the team for the remainder of his career. This is worth bookmarking for next offseason.
The five-year, $137.5 million contract that deGrom signed before the 2019 season proved to be an excellent deal for the Mets, underscored by Gerrit Cole’s $324 million guarantee from the Yankees later that year.
This past offseason, deGrom parted with his longtime agency, CAA, and hired VC Sports Group, which also represents Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts. It stands to reason that he would seek market value for his services after next season, if the Mets do not first offer him a new deal.
Earlier this spring, deGrom answered questions about his opt out and the possibility of remaining with the Mets for his entire career.
“The goal is to go out there and perform and then when that time comes, make that decision,” deGrom said. “But one thing I do think is really, really, really cool is whenever somebody spends their entire career with one team. You don’t see it happen a whole lot anymore. So it’s definitely something that I’ve thought about, and we just have to see when that time comes.”
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