The Mets have until Thursday to sign Jacob deGrom to a long-term deal before talks are tabled, and GM Brodie Van Wagenen said Sunday that the two sides are still talking. Later Sunday, Noah Syndergaard weighed in.
Asked how much he was interested in and paying attention to the deGrom situation, Syndergaard said 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," Syndergaard said. "I just think they should quit all this fuss and pay the man already."
Asked if he was surprised negotiations have taken this long, Syndergaard said yes.
Syndergaard, who is eligible for free agency after the 2021 season -- one season after deGrom would be eligible -- also listed the names of some of the aces who have signed extensions this offseason. And he said it would send a message one way or the other if the Mets get things done with deGrom or don't.
"I think so, yes, because of what you see with what's going on with baseball right now," he said. "If there wasn't a trend of other guys getting contract extensions, I don't know what the circumstance would be. But you can see Chris Sale, (Justin) Verlander, those guys getting extensions. I think it's time Jacob gets one, too."
Van Wagenen told SNY during an in-game interview on Sunday that the team and deGrom's camp were still talking.
"We're still talking. I think as long as the two sides are communicating, there's always the opportunity," Van Wagenen said. "From the start of camp, both sides knew the timeline for which we were operating to make sure that this didn't carry into the season. So we're still operating with that mindset, we'll have the conversations."
I've never wanted to categorize it as optimistic or not optimistic, just that we're gonna keep talking and see where this thing ends up," Van Wagenen concluded.
Video: Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen visits the SNY booth