Zack Wheeler is getting ready to pitch in the World Series, something Jacob deGrom has been searching for since he took the mound for the Mets in the 2015 Fall Classic.
Will deGrom’s next pursuit of a title be with the Mets, or will he sign elsewhere in free agency? Wheeler told Mike Puma of the New York Post that his former teammate and rotation mate likes it in New York, but wants to be paid his worth.
“He told me he is happy there,” Wheeler told Puma. “I just think he wants to get compensated for what he’s done.”
What deGrom has done is pitch like one of the most dominant starters of all time, but when healthy. He missed half the season in 2022, half the season in 2021, but is still a two-time Cy Young award winner who possibly believes this time around is a chance to be better compensated for the last contract he signed, which he is expected to opt out of this winter.
“I don’t think it was the right compensation at the time,” Wheeler said. “I can’t speak for him, it’s a lot of money and it’s life-changing money and I think anybody would have taken that at the time. But at the same time people have seen what he’s done and maybe you can correct it along the way, and this is his chance to correct it.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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