New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom expresses troubling reactions after yet another team loss in Miami on Saturday.
For the New York Mets and their wide-ranging collection of frustrated and colorful fans, June 30, 2018, goes down as a day to forever live in infamy.
A brutal 5-2 loss down in Miami. Derek Jeter’s fish have not only taken the first two games of a three-game set, they’ve passed the Metsies in the NL East standings, making New York No. 5 of five clubs.
The Mets own the label as worst team in the National League and with that awful 32-48 record, sport the fourth-lowest winning percentage in Major League Baseball.
This … all coming after a blazing, too-good-to-be-true start. This … and it’s still not the most depressing narrative of the day.
Jacob deGrom isn’t happy.
deGrom, 30, has put forth the best regular-season campaign of his five-year career in Flushing. Pitching to a sparking sub-1.50 ERA and a K/9 rate well over 11, the man’s not only represented one of the two bright spots (Brandon Nimmo) during a blunder of a season, he’s constantly been thrust into the rumor mill.
Dangling an ace starting pitcher in order to reset the franchise is only natural. Just look at the landscape of big league baseball. It’s those teams (Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, New York Yankees) possess the young, everyday gem who captures the most amount of success. The Mets simply built around the wrong, devalued position (in starting pitcher).
deGrom or Noah Syndergaard as that big-money chip is the obvious route to new-aged success. But what’s concerning is deGrom’s recent emotional mindset. It’d be one thing to have that “option” of trading or hanging on to the ace. It’d be a complete disaster if he takes his unhappiness to the court of public perception.
In that case, teams around baseball already understand deGrom wants out. Though they’d still be forced to pay a premium, perhaps that premium is devalued.
It doesn’t take Mike Francesa to understand deGrom is just one bad element away from blowing up, unlike the true gentlemen he is, and who could blame him?
Jacob deGrom: "I'm tired of losing, to be honest."
Wilmer Flores: "It just sucks." pic.twitter.com/zV0l8NRGWF
— SportsNet New York (@SNYtv) June 30, 2018
Over the last few starts, the same message has come out of the mouth of deGrom—the same disturbing “sick and tired of losing message.” Steve Gelbs of SNY was all over it after the club’s latest disaster on Saturday.
DeGrom: “I’m frustrated. I’m tired of losing, to be honest.”
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) June 30, 2018
“I’m frustrated. I’m tired of losing, to be honest,” deGrom admitted after giving up three runs in another loss against the Marlins on Saturday.
DeGrom said he didn’t tweak anything, but he was fatigued. “I kind of hit a wall.”
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) June 30, 2018
“I kind of hit a wall,” deGrom replied when asked if he did anything different or tweak anything prior to Saturday’s start.
At this point, winning doesn’t do any good in terms of October baseball. Due to the disturbing yet understandable emotional state of the team’s ace pitcher, it’ll sure do a lot in order to manage deGrom’s state of mind.
While words are still only words, the Mets must act. This team must either speak to deGrom and see what’s what in order to hold public perception neutral or either start winning, at the very least, once every five days.
The worst thing that could unfold is an angry and unhappy Jacob deGrom desperately wanting out. Instead of the New York Mets dangling the professional with a full slate of options, teams around the league will know that he’s itching to be dealt.
Somehow, some way, the Mets have to keep deGrom happy until it’s finally time to turn the personnel base on its head.