New York Mets ace pitcher Jacob deGrom’s agent caused a stir when he said the team should either sign him long term or trade him.
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom has firmly established himself as the team’s ace. deGrom has been dominant this season, pitching to a league-leading 1.68 ERA despite constant trade speculation.
The All-Star is under team control through 2020, and although he and Sandy Alderson had previously worked on a long-term extension, nothing has gotten done. Although deGrom has been publicly silent on the issue, his agent expressed his frustration to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter).
CAA’s Brodie van Wagenen, agent for Jacob deGrom: “We have discussed Jacob’s future with the Mets at length. Jacob has expressed interest in exploring a long-term partnership that would keep him in a Mets uniform for years to come.” 1/2
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2018
More from Van Wagenen: “If the Mets don’t share same interest, we believe their best course of action is to seriously consider trade opportunities now.
The inertia of current situation could complicate Jacob’s relationship with the club and creates an atmosphere of indecision.”— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2018
Brodie Van Wagenen, who represents deGrom, is essentially trying to put pressure on the Mets to get a deal done. He clearly feels that getting a guarantee on deGrom’s future is his best move in negotiations, and it stands to reason that some of that is due to deGrom’s age.
deGrom just turned 30 last month, meaning he will be 32 when he reaches free agency. With his history of Tommy John surgery and what will be an advanced age for a free agent, deGrom could struggle to get what he feels is market value.
Thus, deGrom’s agent is trying to get a deal done now while he’s playing well and is still at an age that teams are willing to make a longer commitment to a player.
deGrom later tried to downplay some of his agent’s comments according to Danny Abriano of SNY.
“I would love to play here for my whole career. I think it’s just kind of deciding what we see as the future. It’s something that’s in the Mets’ control, and kind of out of mine.”
It’s understandable why deGrom is frustrated, as he has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball this season while making a below-market $7.4 million this season. However, it’s unlikely that the team trades him, as they would seemingly be unable to acquire a player like Gleyber Torres.
Put frankly, deGrom has no leverage in the situation. Although frustration is no doubt present, the team holds the cards until 2020, and there’s no reason to trade him unless they love the return on him.