After yesterday’s MLB Trade Deadline, John Ricco spoke to reporters about the state of the team, touching on a variety of topics.
One of the more noteworthy ones was in regards to Jacob deGrom‘s long-term future with the team, that became a hot topic a few weeks ago when his agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, came out and said that the right-hander wants to be extended or traded.
However, according to Ricco, the team and it’s ace are now “on the same page” moving forward and this is a non-issue for the near future, as they have had “several discussions” regarding the matter.
Ricco did not commit to anything in either direction, though, as he made it sound like they have an understanding, but not necessarily in agreement about what the long-term arrangement for this partnership will be.
“We totally respect Jacob’s point of view; our obligation is to do what’s best for the organization.”
So, in essence, the Mets plan to at least table this matter until the offseason when they can further evaluate whether or not they want to tear down or build up for the 2019 season.
As of now, the team has given off the impression that they plan to use their superior rotation themselves, rather than trade off their assets.
That being said, Ricco appears non-committal on the idea of keeping the current MLB ERA-leader for the long-haul, likely partly due to the fact that his tenure with the organization is in question as well.
DeGrom is having the best year of his career despite having only a 5-6 record to show for it. The 30-year old has a 1.82 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 164 strikeouts in 21 starts (138 1/3 innings pitched).
