Back in December, New York Mets general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, said on WFAN that he did not want to build a team for the long term only to have its ace pitcher, Jacob deGrom leave after one or two years. He added that a contract extension would be forthcoming although he gave no timetable.

Then, at the Winter Meetings, Van Wagenen stressed transparency between management and the players. He said the players work for him and not vice versa and that the Mets would be a players first organization. He seems to be a man of his words.

Just one month later, deGrom was offered and signed a one-year, $17 million contract giving him the largest raise ever for an arbitration-eligible player. After avoiding arbitration, all seemed well in Metsland for awhile. DeGrom received a record-raise and the issue of deGrom seemed to be at least for the moment solved.

But then the landscape of baseball began to change. Concerns arose of the lack of free agent signings for the second straight off-season and trepidation about the Collective Bargaining Agreement came to the forefront. Although the CBA doesn’t expire to after the 2021 season, the unknowns involved sent players clamoring to try to get long term deals. The stagnant free agent period suddenly became explosive with big stars negotiating with teams for long term deals. When all was said and done, over $1 billion dollars would be spent on extensions and free-agent signings.

In February, deGrom and his agent made an unexpected comment to the New York Post regarding a contract extension for himself:

“[T]he reigning National League Cy Young award winner has informed team officials he will not negotiate a new deal during the season, an industry source told The Post on Tuesday. deGrom’s camp has set Opening Day as the deadline to complete any potential long-term deal.”

The Mets were now on the clock. They had to decide whether to hold the course and keep control of the still arbitration eligible star pitcher, or yield to the wishes of deGrom’s new agent, Jeff Berry, and a large percentage of Mets fans.

The Mets made the right decision, the only decision.

Van Wagenen wants to be a different type of general manager with an “omnipresent” style that makes him accessible to his players. A team, as mentioned, where the players come first. The last thing this Mets team needs is dissension flowing through the clubhouse. Noah Syndergaard spearheaded what others undoubtedly were feeling when he said:

“I just think they should quit all this fuss and pay the man already.”

The Mets did just that when they offered him the second highest guaranteed contract in Mets history, a five-year $137.5 million extension which is just short of the $138 million David Wright received. The $27.5 million average annual value of the contract is the eighth highest for a pitcher in MLB history and is the highest AAV contract for a pitcher in Mets history.

DeGrom, who will turn 31 this June, joins a list of highly paid free agents paid this winter that includes Bryce Harper, Manny Mercado, Nolan Arenado. Justin Verlander, Chris Sale among others. Verlander, 36, just agreed to a two-year extension worth $66 million putting him the same stratosphere as Zack Greinke as the highest paid pitchers in baseball based on AAV.

Sale’s contract seems to be the template that the Mets used for deGrom’s deal. The 29-year-old inked a five year, $145 million with the Boston Red Sox. Like, deGrom’s contract, Sale has an opt-out after the 2022 season. The major difference is that Sale will make his fortune starting next year when he receives $30 million while deGrom’s windfall will begin in earnest in 2021 when he receives $33.5 million.

The most important part of deGrom’s contract is that it could set a precedent for other Mets to get paid. Zack Wheeler will be a free agent after the 2019 season. After the 2021 season, Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, and Michael Conforto will become free agents. These players represent a core for the Mets going forward. They can now see that management is not opposed to extensions or large free-agent signings. It would be nice to see a little stability in the Mets going forward and the deGrom signing can only help to attain that goal.

Finally, there’s team harmony. Although the Mets had not turned into a soap opera yet, tempers were simmering. Syndergaard, as said, has been the bandleader, sort of the spokesman as to how others may feel. He further commented about his fellow pitcher, “Jake is the best pitcher in baseball right now,” I think he deserves whatever amount he’s worth and I want to keep him happy so when it becomes time to reach free agency, he stays on our side and pitches for the Mets.”

No doubt, Syndergaard (and others) want to be happy when it’s time for their free agency as well. There was also the issue with flying to Syracuse. Although, the Mets are there now after a long delay and Syndergaard is running around the field with a Syracuse pennant after first criticizing the trip.

So all appears well as the season is set to begin Thursday in Washington. If deGrom wasn’t taken care of, who knows what ramifications it would have had to a clubhouse that appears to be cohesive and friendly.

Yes, there are some injuries that must be dealt with and further extension issues to discuss, but at least Van Wagenen responded as he said he would. He said that deGrom should be traded if a long term deal wasn’t reached when he was his agent a scant few months ago. Today, as his general manager, he made good on his own assertion.

Some are going so far as to say that this deal had to get done to save the season. Others feel that it will create a new atmosphere among the Mets that will permeate throughout the club. Their ace has been paid. It was the correct decision.

It was the only decision.