Jacob deGrom and the Mets have officially agreed to a five-year contract extension, as the team announced the deal on Tuesday.
"This is a tremendous day for Jacob, his family, our fans and the entire Mets organization," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in an official statement. "Last year, Jacob had one of the most remarkable seasons in baseball history and we are excited to be able to reward him. Mets fans can celebrate knowing their ace will remain in Flushing."
🖐 more years of #deGromination. We've officially signed @JdeGrom19 to an extension. #LGM pic.twitter.com/pZN7gkXjlh
- New York Mets (@Mets) March 26, 2019
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen, who used to represent deGrom with CAA, has been at the forefront of getting the deal done for the Mets' ace. With many other players around the league receiving extensions, questions continued to pour on deGrom and Van Wagenen regarding the their talks.
Van Wagenen noted Tuesday in Syracuse that the other extensions didn't force this deal to get done. There was always the idea that this deal get done before the start of the 2019 regular season. The goal was reached, and Van Wagenen couldn't be happier that both sides are satisfied with the result.
"Jacob has proven that he is one of the best pitchers in baseball and we are excited that he is part of the short-term and long-term future of this organization," Van Wagenen said. "I'd like to thank Jacob and his agents as well as Jeff and the entire ownership group for coming together to make this happen. We look forward to seeing him in the blue and orange for many more years to come."
The deal will be worth $137.5 million, runs from 2019 to 2023, and contains an opt-out after the 2022 season. The contract also contains a club option for the 2024 season and a full no-trade clause, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The 30-year-old deGrom had been set to become a free agent after the 2020 season. The new deal buys out deGrom's final year of arbitration and adds three additional years, not counting the option year.
The breakdown, per the New York Post's Joel Sherman, is as follows:
$10 millilon signing bonus
$7 million in 2019
$23 million in 2020
$33.5 million in 2021 and 2022
$30.5 million in 2023
$32.5 million club option 2024
DeGrom and the Mets had been engaged in contract talks over the past several weeks, reaching a deal two days before his self-imposed Opening Day deadline.
Other star pitchers like Red Sox ace Chris Sale (five years, $150 million) and the Astros' Justin Verlander (two years, $66 million) also recently signed contract extensions. Now deGrom, who won the Cy Young last season after posting an MLB-best 1.70 ERA, joins them.
DeGrom's former agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, became the Mets' GM in the offseason and had repeatedly stated that his and the team's desire was to lock up deGrom long-term. Once Van Wagenen took the Mets job, deGrom worked with a new CAA representative, Jeff Berry.
DeGrom said he would let Berry "do his thing" so he could focus on getting ready for the 2019 season. DeGrom and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $17 million deal in January to avoid arbitration, but he sought a long-term deal, saying he wanted to be part of the future with the Mets and that he wanted that feeling to be mutual.
As of mid-February, the Mets hadn't extended an official offer to deGrom. And while deGrom was hopeful he and the Mets could reach an extension by Opening Day, that optimism began to wane as the regular season neared.
Even teammate Noah Syndergaard grew unhappy on behalf of deGrom, saying deGrom "deserves whatever amount he's worth.
"I want to keep him happy, so when it does come time for him to reach free agency, he stays on our side pitching for the Mets. I just think they should quit all this fuss and pay the man already."
And now, deGrom has gotten paid.