jacob degrom mets
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Mets general manager Billy Eppler held a press conference in the wake of his club’s premature exit from postseason play last weekend. Understandably so, the executive touched on several topics with the New York media. One of those topics included the status of staff ace and likely free agent, Jacob deGrom.

The Amazins have plenty of impact players heading for free agency. This will be a winter full of crucial decisions. What deGrom ultimately decides will dictate how things go for New York heading into the 2023 season.

When asked about deGrom, here’s what Eppler had to say about where things currently stand with the right-hander:

He obviously made sure to choose his words wisely, but there’s some good stuff here. And when push comes to shove, this is one of the many substantial changes between this regime and past regimes under the Wilpon family.

The conversation Eppler and deGrom had on Sunday night after the Mets were eliminated wasn’t the first time they’ve spoken about his contract status. They’ve been having an open dialogue throughout the season since the right-hander publicly said he was planning on exercising his opt-out.

Above all else, you love to see that. Owner Steve Cohen said earlier in the year that he wants to build relationships with players so they don’t just think he and the front office view them as assets. These are people with significant others and children to consider, as well as their own thoughts, feelings, and wishes for the future.

With Cohen — MLB’s richest owner — writing the checks in Queens, we know that more often than not, money isn’t going to be an issue. It’s more about what Jake wants moving forward. And even with a finish to the regular season that was merely mortal, there’s no doubt New York wants its ace back in Queens for the foreseeable future.

The price at which that happens is certainly up for debate, and we’ll see how it all plays out soon enough. Judging from what Eppler shared with the media on Friday, though, it seems like all parties know what the deal is right now.

Matt Musico can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

Matt Musico is an editor for ESNY. He’s been writing about baseball and the Mets for the past decade. His work has been featured on numberFire, MetsMerized Online, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo! Sports.