MMO Roundtable: Reactions To Losing DeGrom

Jacob deGrom is no longer a Met. Man, that’s hard to write. I’m still in disbelief and it’s only been a day. As I pour my second glass of wine, I asked my fellow Metsmerized writers for their in the moment reactions to the news, and here’s some real raw emotion for ya, Mets fans.

Michael Garaffa

The deGrom news came as a semi-surprise for me. I was definitely not anticipating a deal somewhere else to happen this soon. Obviously it wasn’t meant to be, and now the Mets can focus on making a deeper rotation with pitchers that they can rely on.

Matt Mancuso

Jacob deGrom is no longer The Simple Man. Instead, he fell to a fallacy that befalls many men: cold, hard cash.
Even after missing practically an entire season, deGrom’s calm demeanor and elite, consistent production endeared him to many fans over the last six seasons. Dreams of the formerly long-haired ace spending his career in Queens were dashed late Friday night, as were the hearts of Mets fans. DeGrom’s decision to depart Queens will leave a hole not only in the Mets’ rotation but also in the hearts of Mets’ fans. Not since the days of Seaver/Ryan has a pitcher this talented left the club; his gap will be felt, both on and off the field.

It’s a pity that Steve Cohen was outbid for arguably the best pitcher on the planet, however, props to the Rangers’ ownership for green-lighting this deal

One quick note: If Steve Cohen was mad last year when he was outbid for Steven Matz, I only imagine his fury now. Good luck, MLB.

John Sheridan

Jacob deGrom was the second greatest player in Mets history. This was the guy who was supposed to spend his entire career with the Mets, win at least one World Series, have his number retired, and enter the Hall of Fame. The Mets missed their window to extend him last season and, in the end, that probably came to haunt them. That is probably one of many reasons why deGrom left. In the end, deGrom leaving is a sad day for the organization and for fans. We can only thank him for all he did and wish him well as we wait to see how the organization responds. We should also remember this isn’t the end of deGrom’s Mets story. There will be first pitches, Old Timers’ Days, and his eventual number retirement. When that happens, deGrom will again be a part of the Mets as he always should have been.

James Villani

Jacob deGrom was a tremendous Met, one of the best there ever has been. Watching him over the years was a pleasure, and the memories made watching him will always be cherished. He will go down as one of my all-time favorites regardless of the jersey he dons.

As for the deal, five years is likely something the Mets wisely did not want to dish out to the 34-year-old pitcher. Despite his injury issues as a whole being largely overblown, there should certainly be some great concern there. Especially as he continues to age. I’d expect the Mets to respond with either Justin Verlander or Carlos Rodón.

Regardless, wishing deGrom all the best in Texas. Will always be rooting for him to experience as much success as possible.

Chris Bello

Almost 50 years to the day, the Mets made the same mistake with deGrom as they did with Tom Seaver. They let a generationally great pitcher leave their organization. With deGrom gone, the Mets have a giant hole to replace in their rotation.

Whoever they do replace deGrom with, Citi Field will never be the same. The fans officially heard Simple Man for the last time in Game 3 of the NLWC last season, and I’m not sure they appreciated it at the time.
With the 2023 season in mind, Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler will have to move swiftly. The best pitcher is off the market and has cleared the way for others to sign. Rodón and Verlander are the obvious names, but the Mets should look towards lower echelon names as well.

Now that the Mets have $40 million to work with, how will that effect their spending. Is Trea Turner now a possibility in New York? Does Steve Cohen slam back by signing Aaron Judge? Only time will tell.

Andrew Steele-Davis

Friday was a sad day for the Mets, without a doubt. Familiar with the famous Don La Greca Ed Kranepool rant where the Michael Kay host laments the lack of forever Mets compared to the Yankees? That hits home right now. Jacob deGrom was meant to be a forever Met, an all-time great who seemed destined to finish his career in Queens as a Met. Sadly, that won’t be the case now and it will forever be a crime that deGrom never won a World Series with this franchise.

From the business side, it was clear the Mets didn’t want to commit to a long term deal to a pitcher who had struggled to stay healthy over the past couple of years. The Rangers are trying to exit baseball purgatory and become relevant, so that was a risk they could take. For the Mets, attention now turns to who will be deGrom’s replacement. Carlos Rodón or Justin Verlander. We won’t ultimately know how all this pans out for at least a couple of years but, make no doubt about it, deGrom leaving is a sad day for the New York Mets and owner Steve Cohen will need to make a big splash or two in order to turn this offseason around.

Dan Quiñones

Even if it was the right move not to match that contract, this is an extremely tough pill to swallow.

While I think the level of concern that has been put on his injury history has been a bit overblown, there is certainly a very real risk. I thought the Mets would take a gamble and give him a four-year deal. I am shocked anyone was willing to go as far as six years even for a pitcher like deGrom.

On the other hand, deGrom’s rise to becoming the best pitcher in baseball was one of the most incredible stories in all of baseball in recent memory. Every time he took the mound felt like a special occasion, and it wasn’t that long ago that he was on his way to what was looking like an MVP season before the injuries started in 2021. DeGrom seemed like he would be a Met for life.

Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, it’s a shame that his story ends with a departure in free agency.

Rich Sparago

The deGrom situation is one where both sides did the right thing. DeGrom exercised his right to opt out, and do what was best for him, his family, and his career. The Mets didn’t chase him based on emotion, they made a difficult, cold, and business-based decision to refrain from giving a five-year deal to an often-injured pitcher in his mid-30s.

Now the Mets have to be smart. They are still in win-now mode. Their obligation is to put a winning team on the field, whether or not Jacob deGrom is on the roster. If the Mets win the 2023 World Series, no one will be talking about deGrom, literally no one.

Baseball is a business. Players come and go. Some departures are more painful than others, and this one hurts deeply. However, it’s not about any one player. It’s about being the last team standing in October. The Mets, with some financial power and baseball acumen, can be that team.

The Mets won a championship after Tom Seaver left. The Nationals won after Bryce Harper left. It’s a tough night for the franchise emotionally, but emotions don’t win championships.

It’s time to move on.

Mike Mayer

I’m not shocked at all that Jacob deGrom left the Mets, but I’m a little surprised at the contract itself. The reality is that deGrom has made it pretty clear in baseball circles that he’s wanted out of New York over the last couple of years, but even so, there’s no way he could turn down that type of offer from the Rangers.

The real loser here is Mets fans. They miss the opportunity to watch the second greatest pitcher in team history retire with the team and that’s certainly a bummer for his legacy in Queens as well.

Michelle Ioannou

You all probably got my reaction at the beginning of this post, but I just wanted to ask — why can’t Mets fans have nice things?!

Brian Wright

The fan in me thought he’d stay. The realist in me saw this coming. There was clear evidence over the years Jacob deGrom wanted to pitch anywhere other than New York. And no amount of money, reasonable money even by ownership’s standards, can prevent it. That’s the beauty of free agency. And right now, that’s the pain of it. It’s easy and understandable to be emotional in the immediate aftermath. That’s what happens when a player who grew up a Met and developed into the best pitcher of his generation as a Met decides he doesn’t want to finish his career where it started. It hurts now, and it should. But the Mets won 101 games last year with deGrom making 11 starts. The organization is good enough that one player’s departure, even if it’s Jacob deGrom, shouldn’t derail it.

Marshall Field

Like many of my colleagues, I am not surprised that Jacob deGrom has left the Mets. The grass most always is greener in free agency. I am sad, though, that he has left. His departure left a Seaveresque feeling of depression not seen since the Midnight Massacre decades ago. We have now lost two of the best 10 or 15 pitchers ever to take the hill. That said, some teams who lose a star player, get up, brush themselves off, and go on with the business of baseball on and off the field. I believe the Mets will do exactly that. Mets’ leadership is strong enough to withstand this loss of an oft injured player, perhaps already on the downside of his career. Time will tell, but the Mets clearly made a baseball, not emotional, decision when it comes to deGrom.

But emotions cannot be easily dismissed especially when dealing with fans. We have lost a home-grown player who has known only one organization throughout his career. Every 5th summer day, fans would wake up and know it was a deGrom day and look forward to pitching excellence. Now we are left with questions in our starting staff that quickly need to be addressed. Before this occurs, there will be a period of profound sadness among many fans and even a degree of shock. Jacob deGrom is no longer a member of the Mets. I wish him well in Texas. He deserves profound thanks for wearing the blue and orange with distinction.