Former Mets ace Jacob deGrom pushes back on narrative he wanted out of New York
Last October, Jacob deGrom helped the Mets stave off elimination in Game 2 of their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. It would be his last start with the organization.
This year, he’s sitting in the Texas Rangers’ dugout as his teammates play with a 2-0 series lead in the ALCS against the Houston Astros, just two wins away from a World Series berth. Of course, the 35-year-old isn’t pitching after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery earlier this year, cutting the start of his Rangers career short.
“It stinks,” deGrom told Joel Sherman of The New York Post on Tuesday. “I want to do what I love to do.”
This offseason, deGrom opted out of his deal with the Mets to test free agency. He would eventually agree to a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers. He would also recommend Texas to Max Scherzer when the Mets starter was debating whether to waive his no-trade clause at the deadline. Scherzer would waive it and rejoin his old teammate with the Rangers. Scherzer is set to start Game 3 of the ALCS.
DeGrom admitted to The Post that he was surprised by the Mets becoming sellers after a 101-win season. But when the topic of whether he became more “withdrawn” from the team or that he couldn’t “wait to escape New York,” deGrom pushed back.
“I don’t like it when people say that because that’s not true,” deGrom said. “You know me pretty well — I like to pitch and that’s about it. I understand the other stuff that comes with it, but what I want to do is take the field, play and then get ready for the next time I play. I felt like I did that in New York.”
In nine seasons with the Mets, deGrom went 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA. He also won Rookie of the Year in 2014 and two Cy Young Awards (2018, 2019) while playing in Queens.
Although deGrom says being in New York didn’t have an effect on his decision to opt-out and sign with Texas, he admitted to The Post that the lifestyle and speed of life in the Lone Star State more fits his personality.
But deGrom’s injuries in New York and Texas have plagued his career to the point that his once surefire Hall of Fame credentials aren’t so clear cut anymore. He’s totaled just 32 starts over his last three seasons and at the age of 35 he may not have many years left in him.
However, deGrom admits he may have to reconsider his pitching style.
“I am getting a little bit older,” deGrom said. “I believe I can pitch at a lower velocity and reach back and get something else when needed. That is something I have to look into. But when I talked to [his surgeon] Dr. [Keith] Meister he says, ‘You guys are all wired the same, someone steps in the box and you do what you do.’ I have to think about it, but I know if I give up a homer at 94 [mph] and I know I could have ripped it, that would be tough for me. When you are out there, you want to go 100 percent.”
If deGrom wants to make his Hall of Fame resume better, and perhaps become just the third player to don a Mets cap in Cooperstown, he’ll have to stay healthy and finish his career strong.
