LAS VEGAS — The Mets’ offseason wishes include a two-time Cy Young award winning pitcher who has proven he can handle the big stage.
Jacob deGrom received that message directly from general manager Billy Eppler following the Mets’ final game of the season. And in the days leading up to deGrom officially opting out from his contract earlier this week, Eppler conversed with the right-hander’s representatives to ensure the lines of communication remain open.
“Jake exercised the right in his contract so we just made a pact to stay in touch,” Eppler said Tuesday at the GM Meetings.
The ace right-hander is seeking 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 deal with an annual average value of $43.3 million. The Yankees, Rangers, Cubs and Dodgers — in addition to the Mets — could be among the teams in play for deGrom.
Eppler wouldn’t handicap the Mets’ chances of retaining the 34-year-old, but said he hasn’t gotten any indication deGrom wants to leave.
“I think there is a good deal of interest there [to stay] on his part,” Eppler said. “That was articulated a number of times through the season and reiterated in our most recent conversation.”
But the Mets also won’t wait all winter for deGrom to reach a decision, as Eppler looks to fill a rotation with question marks following Chris Bassitt’s decision to decline 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 must be decided upon this week. Eppler wouldn’t say on Tuesday whether the Mets intend to pick up that option. Eppler said Bassitt and Walker are both interested in returning.
“Everybody knows we have got business to do so that’s part of the communication from our side to [deGrom’s],” Eppler said. “There’s players we want to acquire and things we want to accomplish this winter and we have got to get down to it. But that kind of draws back to my earlier statement where I was saying we want to stay in communication with each other and be very transparent with each other.”
DeGrom didn’t pitch for the Mets this past season until Aug 2 after he spent four months on the injured list with a stress reaction 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 stay healthy when budgeting for the rotation.
“Every player we look at the productivity level and then the availability level and then make a decision and recommendation on that,” Eppler said.
The Mets struck quickly in signing closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year contract worth $102 million before he could even hit the open market, but it’s clear the path to retaining star free agents deGrom and Brandon Nimmo will be longer.
Eppler said he has reached out to Nimmo’s representative, Scott Boras, just to ensure the outfielder knows the Mets are still interested.
“Brandon, just like Jake, knows how we feel about him, but he’s at the point in his contract where he’s afforded the opportunity to look around,” Eppler said. “But I think there is going to be strong communication there as well.”