The Mets’ offer to Jacob deGrom was one he apparently could refuse.
The Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Mets offered their free agent pitcher a three-year deal in the $120 million range. The two sides were in contact on Thursday, but there was no back-and-forth between the team and the 34-year-old two-time Cy Young winner on Friday.
The Rangers landed the ace right-hander with a whopping five-year, $185 million deal.
The Mets, meanwhile, got word from deGrom’s camp not much before the team announced the news on Friday night, according to Sherman. New York also never got to a final offer, The Post’s Mike Puma reported.
DeGrom’s $37 million average salary is second only to his now ex-teammate Max Scherzer’s $40.3 million.
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His departure also leaves the Mets with a huge hole in their rotation.
Although deGrom has managed just 26 starts the last two years combined because of injuries, when healthy he has been one of the best pitchers in the game.
Over nine seasons in New York, deGrom compiled an 82-57 record, 2.52 ERA and 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 innings. He was the NL’s rookie of the year in 2014, led the NL in ERA in 2018, twice led the league in strikeouts in 2019 and 2020 and won the Cy Young in 2018 and 2019.
DeGrom battled back and arm issues in 2020 and an elbow injury in 2021. He didn’t take the mound for the Mets until Aug. 2 this past season after he suffered a stress reaction in his right scapula in spring training. He struggled down the stretch after returning to the rotation.
It was believed that deGrom wished to remain with the Mets if the money was similar. But Texas went to five years and included a sixth-year option. Now deGrom is a goner.
