Jacob deGrom is officially a free agent, and so is Taijuan Walker.
The Mets righties were two of the nine players who officially opted out of their contracts on Monday morning, adding to the list of free agents as the MLB offseason kicks into full swing.
Both were expected, of course, as deGrom has been saying he planned to opt out of his deal all season, while Walker’s option was for a much lower salary than he would likely command on the open market.
DeGrom, who turns 35 in June, opted out of a deal that would have paid him $30.5 million next season and given the Mets a $32.5 million team option for 2024. He was 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts last season after missing nearly a year due to arm and shoulder injuries, but over 38 starts between 2020-22, the two-time Cy Young has posted a 2.95 ERA and 352 strikeouts in 224 1/3 innings.
Walker was 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts last season, and has posted a 3.98 ERA in 316 1/3 innings over two years in Queens. He made $17 million over the last two years and held a player option that would’ve been worth $7.5 million ($6 million base plus $1.5 million in earned incentives), but will instead receive a $3 million buyout that counts against the Mets’ 2022 payroll and test the open market.
DeGrom will almost certainly get the qualifying offer of $19.65 million, which will give the Mets a WHAT if he signs elsewhere, while Walker will be an interesting decision, as he is not likely to receive a $20 million annual salary but, at age 30, could be in position to cash in on a long-term deal next off-season if he took the Mets’ QO.
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