LAS VEGAS — The Mets’ offseason wishes include a two-time Cy Young award winning pitcher who has proven he can handle the massive stage.
Jacob deGrom received that message directly from general manager Billy Eppler following the Mets’ final game of the season. And in the times leading as much as deGrom officially opting out from his contract earlier this week, Eppler conversed with the right-hander’s representatives to make sure the lines of communication remain open.
“Jake exercised the proper in his contract so we just made a pact to remain in contact,” Eppler said Tuesday on the GM Meetings.
The ace right-hander is searching for a raise from the $30.5 million he was owed on his old contract for next season. The industry standard for a starting pitcher was set last offseason when the Mets signed Max Scherzer to a three-year take care of an annual average value of $43.3 million. The Yankees, Rangers, Cubs and Dodgers — along with the Mets — might be among the many teams in play for deGrom.
Eppler wouldn’t handicap the Mets’ possibilities of retaining the 34-year-old, but said he hasn’t gotten any indication deGrom wants to depart.
“I believe there may be deal of interest there [to stay] on his part,” Eppler said. “That was articulated quite a lot of times through the season and reiterated in our most up-to-date conversation.”
However the Mets also won’t wait all winter for deGrom to achieve a call, as Eppler looks to fill a rotation with query marks following Chris Bassitt’s decision to say no his portion of a mutual option for next season and Taijuan Walker’s opt-out. The Mets hold a club option on Carlos Carrasco that have to be decided upon this week. Eppler wouldn’t say on Tuesday whether the Mets intend to choose up that option. Eppler said Bassitt and Walker are each focused on returning.
“Everybody knows now we have got business to accomplish that that’s a part of the communication from our side to [deGrom’s],” Eppler said. “There’s players we would like to amass and things we would like to perform this winter and now we have got to get all the way down to it. But that sort of draws back to my earlier statement where I used to be saying we would like to remain in communication with one another and be very transparent with one another.”
DeGrom didn’t pitch for the Mets this past season until Aug 2 after he spent 4 months on the injured list with a stress response in his right scapula. He also missed the second half of the 2021 season, rehabbing from various arm ailments. In his 11 starts in 2022, deGrom went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 64 ¹/₃ innings pitched.
Eppler was asked how much the Mets could count on the 38-year-old Scherzer and deGrom to remain healthy when budgeting for the rotation.
“Every player we have a look at the productivity level after which the provision level after which make a call and suggestion on that,” Eppler said.
The Mets struck quickly in signing closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year contract value $102 million before he could even hit the open market, but it surely’s clear the trail to retaining star free agents deGrom and Brandon Nimmo shall be longer.
Eppler said he has reached out to Nimmo’s representative, Scott Boras, simply to make sure the outfielder knows the Mets are still interested.
“Brandon, identical to Jake, knows how we feel about him, but he’s at the purpose in his contract where he’s afforded the chance to go searching,” Eppler said. “But I believe there may be going to be strong communication there as well.”
LAS VEGAS — The Mets’ offseason wishes include a two-time Cy Young award winning pitcher who has proven he can handle the massive stage.
Jacob deGrom received that message directly from general manager Billy Eppler following the Mets’ final game of the season. And in the times leading as much as deGrom officially opting out from his contract earlier this week, Eppler conversed with the right-hander’s representatives to make sure the lines of communication remain open.
“Jake exercised the proper in his contract so we just made a pact to remain in contact,” Eppler said Tuesday on the GM Meetings.
The ace right-hander is searching for a raise from the $30.5 million he was owed on his old contract for next season. The industry standard for a starting pitcher was set last offseason when the Mets signed Max Scherzer to a three-year take care of an annual average value of $43.3 million. The Yankees, Rangers, Cubs and Dodgers — along with the Mets — might be among the many teams in play for deGrom.
Eppler wouldn’t handicap the Mets’ possibilities of retaining the 34-year-old, but said he hasn’t gotten any indication deGrom wants to depart.
“I believe there may be deal of interest there [to stay] on his part,” Eppler said. “That was articulated quite a lot of times through the season and reiterated in our most up-to-date conversation.”
However the Mets also won’t wait all winter for deGrom to achieve a call, as Eppler looks to fill a rotation with query marks following Chris Bassitt’s decision to say no his portion of a mutual option for next season and Taijuan Walker’s opt-out. The Mets hold a club option on Carlos Carrasco that have to be decided upon this week. Eppler wouldn’t say on Tuesday whether the Mets intend to choose up that option. Eppler said Bassitt and Walker are each focused on returning.
“Everybody knows now we have got business to accomplish that that’s a part of the communication from our side to [deGrom’s],” Eppler said. “There’s players we would like to amass and things we would like to perform this winter and now we have got to get all the way down to it. But that sort of draws back to my earlier statement where I used to be saying we would like to remain in communication with one another and be very transparent with one another.”
DeGrom didn’t pitch for the Mets this past season until Aug 2 after he spent 4 months on the injured list with a stress response in his right scapula. He also missed the second half of the 2021 season, rehabbing from various arm ailments. In his 11 starts in 2022, deGrom went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 64 ¹/₃ innings pitched.
Eppler was asked how much the Mets could count on the 38-year-old Scherzer and deGrom to remain healthy when budgeting for the rotation.
“Every player we have a look at the productivity level after which the provision level after which make a call and suggestion on that,” Eppler said.
The Mets struck quickly in signing closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year contract value $102 million before he could even hit the open market, but it surely’s clear the trail to retaining star free agents deGrom and Brandon Nimmo shall be longer.
Eppler said he has reached out to Nimmo’s representative, Scott Boras, simply to make sure the outfielder knows the Mets are still interested.
“Brandon, identical to Jake, knows how we feel about him, but he’s at the purpose in his contract where he’s afforded the chance to go searching,” Eppler said. “But I believe there may be going to be strong communication there as well.”
