Jacob deGrom was officially introduced as the Rangers’ newest ace on Thursday afternoon, but he made sure to thank the only franchise he had known previously since becoming a pro.
“That’s not an easy decision,” deGrom said of the decision to say goodbye to the Mets. “I spent the first eight-plus years of my career with the Mets, and I have to thank them for that. They’ll always hold a special place in my heart, my wife’s heart, my kids. From ownership to my teammates there and the fans, ultimately. They made me feel welcomed there, and they played a big role in my career.
“There will always be a special place in my heart for the Mets and the fans. That’s the part of the business of baseball, seeing what [the Rangers] were building here, it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
The Mets reportedly didn’t get a chance to make a final offer to deGrom before he chose to leave for Texas, and deGrom many times during Thursday’s press conference made it known that he wanted to be a part of what the Rangers were building, despite back-to-back seasons with over 90 losses.
“We’re extremely excited to be here,” deGrom said. “It’s part of it. They’ll always hold a special place. I probably wouldn’t be here today without [the Mets]. It’s part of it, but this is where we decided we wanted to be.”
DeGrom didn’t go into much detail about his communication with the Mets before choosing Texas, only acknowledging that there was communication with New York before he signed on the dotted line with the Rangers for a five-year, $185 million deal (the Mets reportedly had offered three years and $120 million).
“We were in contact with the Mets,” deGrom said. “The Rangers did a great job of constant communication and making me feel like they really wanted me here, and the vision was the same, build something great and win year in and year out.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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