Jacob deGrom Wants To Sign With The Rangers?
We may have seen Jacob deGrom pitch his last game for the New York Mets. If the Mets were actually smart, they would have sold high on deGrom but that’s a story for another day. When there is smoke there is fire. The Rangers were seen as a stealth suitors for deGrom during the season. Now… they just might be favorites to land the ace.
There has been momentum linking deGrom toward staying with the Mets. That may still happen. However, deGrom’s preference has been to go south and sign somewhere closer to home. The Floridian may have tipped his hand? Does he want the Rangers to pony up? It sure sounds like that.
VIA Jon Heyman of the NY Post:
“Jacob deGrom has let the Rangers know he is interested in them (as well as presumably the Mets and perhaps others), but Carlos Rodon may be a better fit for Texas ultimately.
The Rangers likely are still a year or two away from contending, and Rodon at 30 may work better than deGrom at 34. Rodon will have a bigger market — since deGrom is expected to seek $40 million plus, which will limit his field. Texas is expected to pursue all the best starters, and will likely sign multiple starters even after acquiring Jake Odorizzi in trade. Rangers baseball president Chris Young suggested they are considering all viable starters, including the top guys.
The Rangers showed they are a serious player by spending $500 million on a double-play combination last winter.”
That middle paragraph part is the most important part. It’s also why the Braves may be the bigger threat. The Rangers are not a team that’s ready to win right now. They could opt to go with a younger option like Carlos Rodon. The Braves are a win now club that just won the title a year ago. If deGrom wants to leave the Mets, Atlanta feels like the much better fit.
Texas should definitely be considered in the mix to land deGrom. New head honcho Chris Young is a pitcher at heart. He’s also made a move to trade for Jake Odorizzi and it likely won’t be the only arm Texas acquires this Winter.
