(WFAN.com reporting from PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.) -- The countdown is on.
Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and his agent made it clear Tuesday that there will be no negotiations on a long-term contract after Opening Day, giving the New York Mets a month and a half -- 44 days, to be exact -- to strike a deal with their ace right-hander.
Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen -- who formerly represented deGrom -- recently spoke with Jeff Berry, deGrom's current agent.
"We continue to have dialogue, and this concept of an Opening Day deadline for contract discussions is a mutual understanding," Van Wagenen said Tuesday. "There's no reason for a distraction to carry into the regular season, and we will continue to have dialogue over the course of this spring and see where those discussions lead. But the last thing either side wants to do is have it be a distraction once the season starts."
In 2018, deGrom led the majors with a 1.70 ERA and recorded 269 strikeouts, although poor run support led to an unspectacular 10-9 record. He is slated to make $17 million this season, and can become a free agent following the 2020 season.
Van Wagenen said he believes the deadline really is in everyone's best interest.
"The focus once the season begins is on the performance of the team," he said. "I think everybody feels like we've got a chance to play meaningful games right out of the gate, and we don't want to have anything stand in the way."
The Mets' GM downplayed the idea that deGrom had delivered an ultimatum, calling it a conversation that developed naturally.
"It was organic," Van Wagenen said. "From an agent's perspective, I would agree as well that you want to have the dialogue be timely, and there's no reason to have it carry in and have there be a cloud that hangs over all of the regular season."
Gentlemen, start your engines! You're on the clock.
By Ed Coleman