New York Mets: Another extension for Jacob deGrom does not make sense yet

Although Jacob deGrom may not be happy with his contract with the New York Mets, discussing another deal does not make a lot of sense yet.

As the New York Mets look to rebuild their roster and consider potential extensions, Jacob deGrom would normally be an afterthought. While he is one of the best pitchers in the game, he is under team control through 2022 at minimum, when he could trigger an opt-out clause. Otherwise, he would be under contract through 2023 with a team option for 2024.

With those two years of team control before he could potentially be a free agent, deGrom would seem to be one of the few areas the Mets do not need to be concerned with. And yet, there may be some issues. He had fired his previous representation, and despite not speaking publicly about that decision, the thought is that he is not happy with his current contract. It was a strange situation in the first place as his former agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, had been the Mets GM at the time.

This leads to an interesting conundrum for the Mets. They could, in theory, look to extend deGrom once more, essentially ensuring that he ends his career in New York. Or they could wait another year and then revisit the idea of locking deGrom in beyond his opt-out.

There are obvious concerns when it comes to an extension. deGrom would be 35 years old once his opt-out would trigger. While he has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the past few years, he may not be the same pitcher at that time. Likewise, it may be unlikely that he would receive more than his $32.5 million salary for 2023, or the team option for the same amount in 2024.

No one can question deGrom’s greatness since he arrived in the majors. He has posted a 70-51 record, along with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.047 WHiP. Over his 1169.2 innings, deGrom has struck out 1359 batters with just 284 walks. He has been a three time All Star, won two Cy Young awards, and was named the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year.

But the past can only count for so much. The Mets have to look at what the best move for the franchise moving forward would be. To that end, deGrom would need to show that age is not a concern to that point, that he can still be a top of the rotation arm. If that is the case, then it would make sense to discuss another extension.

Jacob deGrom has been a star for the New York Mets. However, it does not make sense to discuss another extension until he shows that he can continue to pitch well even as the years add up.