Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mets pitchers Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker have officially opted out of their contracts for the 2023 season.
The MLBPA released a list of nine new free agents on Monday, including deGrom, Walker, Boston’s Xander Bogaerts, and Minnesota’s Carlos Correa. DeGrom was scheduled to make $30.5 million if he accepted his option for the 2023 season. Walker had a $6 million option.
This brings the Mets list of free agents to 11 according to the MLBPA press release. But that number includes Edwin Diaz who the Mets inked to a reported five-year, $102 million deal. The remaining free agents are Tommy Hunter, Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Tyler Naquin, Brandon Nimmo, Adam Ottavino, Joely Rodriguez, and Trevor Williams.
It’s hard to quantify what deGrom will seek out in free agency. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with setbacks due to injury the last two seasons. When healthy he’s shown he’s still the best pitcher in baseball. But that when looms large.
If deGrom opted into his deal for 2023, the Mets would have a team option worth $32.5 million for 2024.
Walker originally signed a three-year, $23 million deal in 2021. The 30-year old is set to out-earn that after his two seasons on the Mets. Walker made the All-Star team in 2021. Walker revived his career on the Mets, showing how durable a pitcher he could be, making 29 starts each of the last two seasons. The unfortunate part for Walker is his season splits. He performed much better in the first half of each season, then collapsed during the second half.
The Mets rotation will need to undergo a major rebuild for the 2023 season. The only starting pitchers under contract for next season are Max Scherzer, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Joey Lucchesi. The Mets have a team option on Carlos Carrasco that they have yet to accept. It is worth $14 million.
