Jacob deGrom is officially a free agent.
The longtime Mets ace opted out of his contract, the MLB Players Association announced on Monday, and as expected will hit the open market. DeGrom, 34, had a player option worth $30.5 million for the 2023 MLB season.
Fellow Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker also opted out of his contract to become a free agent. Chris Bassitt declined his 2023 option on Sunday.
Seven other players opted to become free agents on Monday, per the union: Xander Bogaerts of the Red Sox, Carlos Correa of the Twins, Nelson Cruz of the Nationals, Zach Davies of the Diamondbacks, Jurickson Profar of the Padres, Carlos Rodon of the Giants and Robert Suarez of the Padres.
Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during Game 2 of the wild-card round against the Padres on Oct. 8, 2022.Corey SipkinAfter going a year between starts due to injuries, deGrom recorded a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts during the 2022 season, striking out 102 in 64 1/3 innings. The two-time Cy Young winner earned a victory in Game 2 of the Mets’ Wild Card series against the Padres, giving up two runs in six innings while striking out eight. The Mets went on to lose the best-of-three series the next night.
Over his nine seasons with the Mets, deGrom has a 2.52 ERA and 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 innings.
The Mets gave Max Scherzer a record-breaking contract last offseason, signing the veteran right-hander to a three-year, $130 million contract. His $43.3 million average annual salary is the most in MLB history. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole previously had the highest AAV at $36 million.
The Mets took care of some major business on Sunday, signing closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, the largest ever for a relief pitcher.
