Mets

voting after receiving little support on a fourth-place squad.

The right-hander went 10- 9 with 269 strikeouts in 32 remarkably consistent starts for a team that finished 77-85. He can become a free agent after the 2020 season if the Mets don’t sign their electric ace to a multiyear contract by then.

New York sounds open to a long-term deal under new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, who was deGrom’s agent before switching sides and taking the front- office job. Talks could take place soon, though Van Wagenen has said he’ll recuse himself from negotiations involving deGrom to avoid a conflict of interest.

Syndergaard went 13- 4 with a 3.03 ERA in 25 starts last season but had some trouble staying healthy again. The righthander logged only 30 1/3 innings in 2017 because of a torn lat muscle. Last year he missed time with a finger injury and an illness, finishing with 155 strikeouts and 39 walks in 154 1/3 innings.

The 26-year-old Syndergaard, an All-Star in 2016, won five of his last six decisions and pitched the first two complete games of his career in September, including a shutout on the

final day of the season.

Syndergaard’s name was often mentioned in trade talk early this offseason, with the Padres and Marlins among the teams said to be seriously interested. Van Wagenen didn’t rule out such a move at first, but eventually indicated the Mets plan to keep Thor at the front of a stingy rotation that is the foundation of the team.

Finally healthy again last season, Wheeler ($5,975,000) is coming off a breakout performance in the second half. He was one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers from July on, going 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA in his last 11 starts — at last fulfilling the considerable promise that made him the sixth overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft by San Francisco. He finished 12-7 with a 3.31 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 29 starts covering 182 1/3 innings.

The right-hander, who turns 29 in May, missed two full seasons following Tommy John surgery in March 2015. He returned in 2017 but that season (3-7, 5.21 ERA) was cut short after 17 starts due to a stress reaction in his pitching arm. Still, he beat the Mets in salary arbitration last February and got a raise from $800,000 to $1.9 million instead of New York’s $1.5 million offer.

Wheeler can become a free agent after the upcoming season. after the 2020 World Series.

All-purpose player Brock Holt ($ 3,575,000), pitchers Matt Barnes ($1.6 million), Eduardo Rodriguez ($ 4.3 million) and Brandon Workman ($1.15 million) and catchers Sandy Leon ($ 2,475,000) and Blake Swihart ($910,000) also reached agreements. Pitcher Steven Wright got a deal Thursday for $1,375,000.

Leon could earn $50,000 in performance bonuses for games at catcher: $25,000 each for 75 and 100. Rodriguez could earn $25,000 for 100 innings.

After posting a team-re-

cord 108 wins and romping to their fourth championship in 15 seasons, the Red Sox mostly stood pat during the early part of free agency, making their biggest noise when they resigned pitcher Nathan Eovaldi to a four-year, $68 million contract.

Last season, Boston exceeded the luxury tax threshold and is on track to endure another tax and penalty in next June’s amateur draft. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last month during the winter meetings that dropping below the highest surtax this year would be ideal, but not mandated.

Bogaerts hit .288 with 23 home runs last season and his 103 RBIs were sec-

ond on the team behind only J. D. Martinez’s 130. He was also third in slugging percentage (. 522) behind Betts (.640) and Martinez (.629). A 2016 All-Star, he made $7.05 million this past season.

Bradley had an up-anddown year, hitting just .234 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs during the regular season.

The 28-year- old came up big in the postseason, though, and was chosen the ALCS MVP despite hitting just .200 (3 for 15) in the best- of- seven series win over Houston. He was clutch with go-ahead hits in two Boston wins and game- sealing grand slam in another.

Bradley earned a Gold Glove for the first time in

center field. He made $6.1 million.

Holt, 30, was Boston’s most-versatile utility infielder this season, hitting .277 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs. His biggest moment came in the playoffs when he became the first player in postseason history to hit for the cycle, sparking a 16-1 win at Yankee Stadium. He made $2.25 million in 2018.

Leon, 29, split time with Christian Vazquez behind the plate. He hit just .177 with five home runs and 22 RBIs. He made $1.95 million last season.

Swihart, 26, appeared in 82 games this past season. He hit .229 and had three home runs and 18 RBIs in his 207 plate appearances.