Short hair for deGrom, but no long-term deal
Jacob deGrom will arrive to spring training next week with a different look, but the same contract status.
After talks this offseason on a contract extension that would have bought out his remaining arbitration years never gained traction, the stud right-hander said he expects to pitch the next three seasons with the Mets and then hit the free-agent market.
“As of right now, it looks like it’s going to be a year-to-year thing,” deGrom said Thursday at the Javits Center, where he was promoting the New York Boat Show. “I have got this year and two more, so I am still going to be here a while. If they want to extend past that, I guess we’ll see where it goes.”
DeGrom avoided arbitration by agreeing this month to a contract that will pay him $7.4 million in 2018, but there had been hope the two sides would work out a deal to keep the 29-year-old fireballer in a Mets uniform beyond the start of his free-agent eligibility.
While leaving open the possibility for negotiations during the season, deGrom doubts there would be such talks next winter.
“You have got two [years] left, you kind of bet on yourself at that point,” deGrom said. “But if they want to extend past that we would be open to talk.”
With his trademark long hair chopped — he got a haircut the day after the season ended — deGrom is happy with his new look.
“I actually saw a picture [with the long hair] today,” deGrom said. “I was like, ‘ How did I even have that long hair?’ Honestly I don’t really know why I cut it, I was just kind of tired of it.”
So deGrom is committed to short hair?
“Right now I am,” he said. “Let’s see how the spring goes.”
DeGrom has thrown two-tothree times a week since December to keep his arm loose and will arrive in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Thursday ready to increase his workload.
And deGrom would like to see what the Mets are capable of with a healthy staff that would presumably include Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.
“You get those guys back healthy and you’ve got Jay Bruce and you get [Michael] Conforto back and I think we’re going to be in good position,” deGrom said. “The plan was to contend last year and with injuries last year we weren’t able to, and when we get guys back I think that’s the plan this year — to contend — and I am looking forward to seeing everything in spring training and hoping everybody is healthy.”