In stunning move, Jacob deGrom spurns Mets to sign five-year deal with Rangers

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In the most stunning move thus far during the 2022 MLB free agency period, the Texas Rangers announced they signed deGrom to a five-year deal worth $185 million. The contract includes a sixth-year option that would add another $37 million in that final year.

The 34-year-old finishes as arguably the second-greatest pitcher in Mets history after Tom Seaver, but there was obvious trepidation among the team to bring him back.

When deGrom is on the field, he is one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball.

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He won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and is a four-time All-Star. He struck out 239 batters or more in three straight seasons between 2017 and 2019 while surpassing 200 innings in each.

Over his nine-year career with the Mets, DeGrom averaged 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which is the second-best mark in MLB history among pitchers with at least 1,300 innings. His career ERA of 2.52 is third-best in the expansion era behind Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw.

But the deal comes with obvious risk.

In the last two seasons, deGrom has been saddled with numerous maladies, including a forearm strain and stress reaction in his right shoulder blade, that have limited him to 26 starts over the past two seasons.

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Over the course of his career, deGrom has racked up a 82-57 record with a 2.52 ERA and WHIP of 1.00.

During the 2022 season, DeGrom voiced that he would be opting out of the final year of his five-year, $137.5 million contract. There were rumors that deGrom favored a move to be closer to his family in Florida.

At $37 million per year, DeGrom's new deal represents the second-highest average salary given to a starting pitcher behind Max Scherzer, who will earn $43.3 million in his second year with the Mets this season.

But the longevity of deGrom's deal came a shock.

According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, the Mets' offer to deGrom was three years in the $120 million range. The suddenness of the Rangers' acquisition sent ripples through Major League Baseball ahead of the Winter Meetings, which are set to kick off on Sunday in San Diego.

Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco are the only two remaining members of last season's starting rotation. The Mets could also turn to David Peterson and Tylor Megill to help fill the void.

Earlier in the offseason, Chris Bassitt turned down his half of a $19 million mutual option, while Taijuan Walker rejected a $6 million player option. There is still a chance that the Mets could bring one or both of those pitchers back next season.

The Mets have also had discussions with American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander as well as Giants ace Carlos Rodon, who are believed to be among the top available arms this free agency. They have also had talks with Japanese standout Kodai Senga, who boasts a high-90s fastball and vicious splitter and posted a 1.94 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2022.

Now, without any money allocated to bringing deGrom, the Mets, along with Steve Cohen, will use their vast resources to try and rebuild the top of their rotation.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jacob deGrom signs contract with Rangers, spurns NY Mets