With the Mets no longer in contention for a title, all focus turns towards whether they will be in contention to keep their superstar pitcher Jacob deGrom in Queens this offseason.
DeGrom, likely to opt out and become a free agent, will arguably be the most coveted pitcher on the market this winter, but general manager Billy Eppler told reporters on Friday that he and deGrom sat down alone after the Mets were eliminated Sunday night, and had a productive conversation about the righty’s future.
“I did have some time one-on-one with Jake Sunday night, late, might have even been Monday morning by then,” Eppler said. “He knows how we feel and I know how he feels. We had a good amount of dialogue over the course of the season.
“I think we have a sense of what makes the other one tick. I think things are positive, and the relationship is positive. We’ll see where it ultimately goes, but he knows how we feel.”
The Mets will certainly be able to match any offer deGrom receives on the open market, armed with the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen. Eppler says he still has full autonomy from Cohen to do what is necessary to put the best team on the field in 2023, and bringing deGrom back would certainly help in that regard.
“I’ve already had multiple conversations with Steve,” Eppler said. “He's given me that nod to continue to make decisions. We’ve been spitballing ideas, even last night via text.”
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