Jacob deGrom reveals the real reason he left the New York Mets for Texas this offseason. It might not be what you expected based on what was reported.
Jacob deGrom is, when healthy, the best pitcher in baseball. His stuff is unlike any starting pitcher we’ve ever seen, and he has the accolades to back that up with his two Cy Young awards. The problem is, he’s had a lot of trouble staying healthy and showing the New York Mets how great he is in each of the last two seasons.
That’s a problem when you hit free agency.
Health is the reason deGrom didn’t get upwards of $200 million guaranteed on the open market this offseason, landing a five-year $185 million deal with Texas. Health is the reason why no team was close to matching the offer, including the Mets, the team that knew him best.
Mets rumors: Jacob deGrom reveals real story of why he left for Texas
Jacob deGrom is arguably the second-best pitcher to ever wear a Mets uniform, behind only Tom Seaver. You’d think Steve Cohen would want him to retire a Met one day. That’s why seeing him in another uniform is so shocking.
Towards the end of deGrom’s tenure with the Mets, some rumors emerged, though they were hard to verify. Some were talking about his contempt for New York, others talking about him being upset about the contract he signed. In his interview with Jon Heyman of the NY Post, he denied both.
Heyman points out that deGrom portrayed his decision as a business decision rather than anything personal. This makes sense, as Heyman says the $185 million “turned out to be more than 50 percent more than the Mets’ bid (which sources suggest wasn’t quite the $120 million that was reported, and closer to $100 million to $110 million).”
deGrom’s decision to leave the Mets — the only team he’s known and a team that’s going to compete for a World Series title to join the Rangers, a team in a smaller market without those lofty expectations — came down to the money. Who could blame him? For $75 million dollars or more, deGrom went to a place without income tax and more security.
New York signed Justin Verlander, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, to replace him. That could easily be thought of as an upgrade. Both sides ended up just fine in their divorce. There shouldn’t be any hard feelings.