Starting pitcher Jacob deGrom revealed the reason why he chose to sign with the Texas Rangers. But was it a shot at the New York Mets?
Prior to the start of the MLB Winter Meetings, a major free agency domino fell. Ace Jacob deGrom, who spent the entirety of his career with the New York Mets, agreed to terms with the Texas Rangers on a lucrative five-year, $185 million contract, which also contains an option for a sixth season.
On Thursday, after the conclusion of the Winter Meetings, deGrom was officially introduced as the newest pitcher of the Rangers. When asked about what led to him and his family to head to Texas to sign with the Rangers, deGrom mentioned the team’s vision and desire to win a World Series.
Did Jacob deGrom take a shot at Mets during Rangers introductory press conference?
Mets fans, this wasn’t a shot at the team. He spoke very highly of the Mets and the fanbase in this very press conference, and said that leaving was “not an easy decision.” You can listen to below:
“I spent the first eight-plus years of my career with the New York Mets,” deGrom said, h/t SNY. “I have to thank them for that. They’ll always hold a special place in my heart, my wife’s heart, my kids. From ownership to my teammates there and the fans, ultimately. They made me feel welcome there and they played a big role in my career.
“There will always be a special place in my heart for the New York Mets and their fans. That’s the part of the business of baseball. Seeing what [the Rangers] were building here was something I wanted to be a part of.”
The Rangers have made it evident that they plan on making a push for the World Series in the past year. Last winter, they signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray to contracts that totaled over $500 million. After another down year in 2022, the team fired manager Chris Woodward, and got Bruce Bochy to come out of retirement to become their new skipper. Bochy does, after all, have three World Series titles as a manager.
Now, the Rangers bring in deGrom on what is essentially a high-risk, high-reward deal. deGrom has shown to be one of the greatest pitchers, but that’s when he’s healthy. In the past two seasons, deGrom was limited to 26 games. He notably missed the first half of the 2022 season with a stress reaction of his right scapula.
In 11 starts, deGrom recorded a 3.08 ERA, a 0.746 WHIP, 102 strikeouts and eight walks through 64.1 innings.
After eight years with the Mets, deGrom begins his tenure with a Rangers team that hopes to contend for a World Series in the very near future.