USA TODAY International Edition
Mets, GM had no choice but to pay deGrom
The Mets had no choice.
Their entire season essentially was riding on it.
The Mets, with new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, had to sign NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom to a contract extension before opening day or risk having the season blow up in his face, with clubhouse turmoil threatening to undermine their season.
So two days before opening day, the Mets struck a deal with deGrom, paying him $137.5 million over the next five years, with a $32.5 million club option in 2024. He’ll still get paid his $17 million in 2019, so the Mets basically are paying $120.5 million to stay out of the
salary arbitration process and buying out two free agent years.
It pays just below Chris Sale’s fiveyear, $145 million extension signed last week with the Red Sox.
Finally, everyone is happy, even teammate Noah Syndergaard, who was furious with the Mets’ front office for scheduling a cross-state bus ride from Port St. Lucie to Sarasota, Florida, sitting on the tarmac for three hours for a flight to Syracuse, New York, where they had a scheduled practice before heading to Washington, D.C.
“I don’t think that’s what championship teams do prior to the season,” Syndergaard said.
While Syndergaard was bemoaning the travel schedule, he lashed out about deGrom’s status, angry that the Mets still had not given him an extension.
“Jake is the best pitcher in baseball right now,” Syndergaard said. “I think he deserves whatever amount he’s worth and I want to keep him happy so when it becomes time to reach free agency, he stays on our side and pitches for the Mets. I just think they should quit all this fuss and pay the man already.”
Well, the man finally got paid, in one of the most sensitive negotiations in Mets’ history.
This was the first time in history a player was negotiating against his own agent. Just four months ago, Van Wagenen was deGrom’s agent with CAA. Van Wagenen was the one lashing out at the Mets at the All-Star break saying that if the Mets don’t give deGrom a long-term contract, they should go ahead and trade him.
Now, after becoming the GM in November, Van Wagenen knew he’d look like the biggest hypocrite in New York, and perhaps lose his clubhouse, if an extension wasn’t reached.
Really, he had no choice but to get a deal done no matter what the cost, locking up the Cy Young pitcher who yielded a 1.70 ERA last season, striking out 269 batters in 217 innings.
Who knows how the deal will play out. DeGrom will be 31 in June. He has already had Tommy John surgery. He has never had a season remotely close to the one he produced last year. No matter.
Van Wagenen reached back to his agent negotiating days and delivered the goods, just in time.
Now, everyone is happy.
Well, at least once they get out of Syracuse.