Martino: Braves, Rangers Emerge as Suitors for DeGrom

Jacob deGrom‘s future is one of the biggest storylines heading into what will be a defining offseason for the New York Mets, and two teams have emerged as real contenders for the ace’s signature. Per Andy Martino of SNY, who is currently in Las Vegas for the GM Meetings, the Atlanta Braves and the Texas […]

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Jacob deGrom‘s future is one of the biggest storylines heading into what will be a defining offseason for the New York Mets, and two teams have emerged as real contenders for the ace’s signature.

Per Andy Martino of SNY, who is currently in Las Vegas for the GM Meetings, the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers are the two teams that are seen as the biggest threat to the Mets when it comes to attempting to retain their superstar starter.

Martino also noted in his story that owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler will pitch a “strong” offer to deGrom and his representatives early on in the free agency process, but it is also believed that they refuse to be drawn into a frantic bidding war. Instead, and from Martino again, the Mets will offer deGrom what they think he is worth and, if needed, they will go a little higher.

However, all signs point to the fact that Cohen will draw a hard line in the sand when it comes to his starter, and he won’t allow other teams to drive the asking price up to an absurd amount. Simply put; the Mets clearly have a figure in mind and if deGrom wants more than that, then he will have to go elsewhere in order to land it.

It is believed that deGrom and his camp would like a deal that would eclipse Max Scherzer‘s contract that pays him $43.5 million annually in Queens. It is worth noting that, given his injury history and inability to stay on the field over the past two years, it may be hard for deGrom to find that kind of money and he may have to settle for less. That could work in the Mets’ favor, of course.

There’s other factors at play too. It has been reported for a while that the franchise put a high priority on Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo as the two internal free agents they wanted to re-sign as a matter of urgency. That was certainly backed up by Cohen giving Diaz a record five-year, $102 million deal earlier this week. That historic contract makes Diaz the highest paid reliever in history.

With Nimmo still to re-sign and a reported interest in free agent Trea Turner, the Mets only have a certain amount of money to play with given Cohen’s insistence that he won’t be reckless with payroll. There appears to be a limit to what the front office will spend this offseason, and it may well prove that deGrom is expendable despite the fact that he’s one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

Having pitched to a 3.08 ERA in 11 games in 2022 despite being on the shelf for half the year, there will be plenty of interest in deGrom and the Braves can offer the two-time Cy Young Award winner the money he wants. Atlanta is also an incredibly well-run organization that boasts an incredibly strong core that can compete for a World Series for years to come. As for the Rangers, they are still trying to rebuild but they spent huge money on Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last winter as they try to become a legit contender. They are probably one of the only teams that could blow out the Mets and meet or even surpass deGrom’s asking price, too.

One other notable caveat at play and to consider is the fact that, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have a better chance of re-signing star slugger Aaron Judge than the Mets do with deGrom. In his story, Heyman mentions that the Mets made no secret of the fact that Diaz was their No. 1 white whale to retain this offseason, rather than deGrom, despite the fact that the latter has maintained all year that he planned to opt-out of his current contract.

Whether deGrom was bothered by the front office’s lightning-quick extension for Diaz, and the money they paid for the closer, perhaps may never be made public. However, with Hot Stove season really beginning to gather some momentum, deGrom’s future in Queens is perhaps in danger more than ever before and it is a situation worth keeping an eye on over the coming days and weeks.

The post Martino: Braves, Rangers Emerge as Suitors for DeGrom first appeared on Metsmerized Online.