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Jacob deGrom

NL East Notes: deGrom, Lowrie, Taylor, Jones

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Though there are just over two weeks between now and Opening Day, Mets ace Jacob deGrom said Tuesday that he’s still “optimistic” about coming to terms on a long-term deal with the organization (link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Whatever talks have transpired, both the Mets and deGrom’s camp have done a good job of keeping things under wraps, as there’s been little reported on the matter since camp opened despite deGrom’s standing as one of the game’s elite talents. The right-hander stated again today that he “definitely” wants to be a part of the Mets’ future. It’s been one month since deGrom was reported to have placed an Opening Day deadline on extension talks with the Mets. He’s slated to earn $17MM in 2019 — his second-to-last season of arbitration eligibility — and is currently on track to become a free agent after the 2020 season.

More from the NL East …

  • On the health side, the Mets have seen encouraging progress from a few players. Jed Lowrie has resumed baseball activities and could be on track to return from his knee sprain early in the season. There’s even an “outside shot” that he’s on the active roster on Opening Day, DiComo says. And backstop Travis d’Arnaud  is expected to head north with the big league club after missing almost all of 2018, DiComo adds. d’Arnaud, who avoided arbitration at a $3.515MM salary, has continued to check boxes this spring as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
  • Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor is turning heads inside and outside the organization, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic writes (subscription link). While Victor Robles will be given a shot to make good on his promise, the Nats are also considering scenarios where he slides to right field to enable Taylor to roam in center. Utilizing such an alignment when there’s a lefty on the hill would also facilitate rest for Adam Eaton, who has been limited by leg ailments ever since arriving in Washington. Soon to turn 28, Taylor has had chances to seize regular time in the past but hasn’t managed to reach base consistently enough to fully realize his potential. He spent the winter working on swing mechanics and preparing to “stay[] strong on the mental side” with a more “positive” mindset. Taylor will enter the season fourth on the depth chart, but could still have ample opportunity with the Nats in the season to come and beyond.
  • The Marlins pursued veteran outfielder Adam Jones before he signed with the Diamondbacks, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Those were the only two teams with interest in Jones, who suggested he was not inclined to consider minor-league offers. The Marlins ended up securing the services of some other veteran players on favorable terms, including a minors pact with outfielder Curtis Granderson; the club’s level of financial interest in Jones is not known. Jones says he “want[s] to play a few more years for sure, at least.”

Starting Pitching Notes: Fernandez, Kershaw, Buehler, deGrom, Pineda

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The late Jose Fernandez would have been eligible for free agency this offseason, a concept The Athletic’s Jayson Stark explores (subscription required) in an outstanding remembrance of the former Marlins ace.  Fernandez emerged as perhaps the top young pitcher in all of baseball over 471 1/3 innings with Miami from 2013-16, and he would’ve reached free agency as a 26-year-old, the same age as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado this winter.  Assuming Fernandez had continued his dominant pace, agent Scott Boras had visions of a $400MM deal for his client.  Miami had already offered to sign Fernandez to an extension prior to the 2015 season, and even though Fernandez was coming off Tommy John surgery, he rejected that $40.7MM in guaranteed money to bet on himself — a sign of the self-confidence that had both positive and negative effects on Fernandez throughout his life.  Stark’s piece includes comments from a wide range of former teammates, coaches, and Marlins personnel about their memories of the star right-hander, who had already become a Miami baseball icon at the time of his tragic passing on September 25, 2016.

Some items from around the starting pitching scene…

  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an update on Clayton Kershaw to reporters (including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick), saying that Kershaw had a five-minute game of catch for the second straight day.  “Clayton said he let it go about 80 percent and he felt good, he felt strong,” Roberts said.  “Tomorrow we’re going to stretch him out some more as far as length and intensity. In talking to him today, we’re pretty encouraged.”  Kershaw was shut down last week due to shoulder soreness, and the Dodgers will continue to take it slow with their ace southpaw.
  • The Dodgers are taking a similar path with Walker Buehler, who has only been throwing on flat ground since tossing a single bullpen session during the first week of spring camp.  There isn’t anything physically wrong with the young righty, Roberts said, as Buehler is simply being “slow-played” in his ramp-up to the 2019 season as a nod to his increased workload last year.  Between the minors, the MLB regular season, and the postseason, Buehler tossed 177 innings in 2018.  It was a vast increase for a pitcher in just his third pro season, especially considering Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 and tossed only 98 total innings in 2017.
  • There hasn’t been much reported progress in contract talks between the Mets and Jacob deGrom, and according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, “the word circulating is specifically [Mets owner] Fred Wilpon” has some hesitation about extending the right-hander.  As Sherman points out, if the elder Wilpon has concerns, they wouldn’t be unjustified — deGrom turns 31 in June, has undergone a Tommy John surgery in his past, and is already controlled through the 2020 season.  (Plus, the Mets have been burned on several pricey contracts in recent years.)  Sherman proposes a possible extension that could satisfy both sides; a four-year deal covering the 2020-23 seasons for $124MM in guaranteed money, plus a vesting option for 2024 that pays deGrom another $10MM in a buyout, and up to $31MM for 2024 if the option vests.
  • Michael Pineda tossed two scoreless innings and threw 18 of his 26 pitches for strikes in an outing against the Red Sox today, his first time facing MLB hitters since July 5, 2017.  He threw between 93-95mph, matching his old fastball speed, though Pineda told The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and other media that “I’m not focused on the velocity.  My goal is to be healthy and get some focus and be back. And be Michael Pineda, back like he used to be.”  Pineda underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017, and his hopes of a return in 2018 were dashed after he suffered a torn meniscus.  After signing a two-year, $10MM deal with the Twins in the 2017-18 offseason, Pineda is making positive steps towards being a contributor for Minnesota this year.

Mets Notes: deGrom, Lowrie, Catchers

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Agents Jeff Berry and Matt Ricatto of CAA Baseball are in Port St. Lucie and will meet with the Mets regarding Jacob deGrom’s contract status, Newsday’s Tim Healey reports. As Healey notes, it’s routine for agents to pay quick visits to MLB camps to check in with their clients and with organizational decision-makers, though the very public nature of deGrom’s extension candidacy makes this particular visit more intriguing. Certainly, a long-term deal for a pitcher of deGrom’s caliber isn’t something that’d be hammered out in a matter of hours, but this week’s visit could potentially help to lay some groundwork for negotiations that would carry on throughout Spring Training. Last week, deGrom indicated that talks had not yet gotten off the ground, and a few days prior to that, it was reported that his camp has placed an Opening Day deadline on getting a deal finished.

Here’s more out of Queens…

  • The Mets received good news following Jed Lowrie’s recent MRI, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. Lowrie underwent the test after experiencing some discomfort in the back of his knee earlier this week, but the MRI did not reveal any significant damage. The veteran will be brought along slowly early in camp, Puma notes, although at this point it seems there’s no longer much cause for concern. The 34-year-old (35 in April) inked a two-year, $20MM pact with the Mets this offseason on the heels of a terrific 2018 campaign in which he batted .267/.353/.448 with 23 home runs and 37 doubles in 680 plate appearances with the A’s.
  • The Mets aren’t ruling out the possibility of carrying three catchers to open the season, manager Mickey Callaway tells Kevin Armstrong of the New York Times. Offseason signee Wilson Ramos, of course, is a lock to make the Opening Day roster as the team’s new primary option behind the dish, and Travis d’Arnaud seems quite likely to be in the mix as well, so long as his rehab from 2018 Tommy John surgery has adequately progressed. The other two options are 24-year-old Tomas Nido and veteran Devin Mesoraco, who returned to the Mets on a minor league deal this winter. As Callaway explains, Mesoraco’s relationship with deGrom was a huge factor in the organization’s decision to re-sign him; Mesoraco caught 21 of 25 deGrom starts last year after being acquired from the Reds. Callaway spoke with high praise of Mesoraco’s preparation and leadership, which had a positive influence on other catchers and throughout the pitching staff. Given d’Arnaud’s ability to play some first base and left field, carrying a pair of backup catcher options wouldn’t be as limiting as it would for other clubs. Nido, meanwhile, has a minor league option remaining, so he seems likely to be headed for Triple-A to open the year.

NL Notes: Cespedes, deGrom, Arenado, Marlins, Barrett

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Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes provided an update on his efforts to return from surgeries to both heels. As Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News writes, Cespedes expressed confidence that he will be able to make it back to the MLB field, but says it’s unlikely to occur before the middle of the coming season. Cespedes does say that he’s now pain-free, which seems promising, though it remains to be seen how things will progress once his rehab is able to ramp up toward full speed.

  • In other recent Mets news, ace Jacob deGrom discussed his contract situation with reporters including Tim Healey of Newsday. Generally, deGrom reiterated what is already known to be the case: he expects to discuss an extension in the coming weeks but has yet to receive an offer and won’t negotiate past the start of the season. The star righty largely demurred when asked about the oft-floated concept that he might operate under self-imposed workload limitations if he doesn’t have a long-term deal, though he did not rule out such an approach.
  • Speaking of possible blockbuster extensions, Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado will not follow deGrom’s lead in placing timing restrictions on his talks with the club, as MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports. Arenado said he does expect there to be a “silent deadline” once “serious games start,” though generally it sounds as if he’s open to chat just about any time. It certainly seems as if there are plenty of good vibes between player and team, though hammering out an appropriate contract will still come with challenges. Arenado, 27, already agreed to a record-setting $26MM salary for the 2019 campaign, after which he’ll hit the open market.
  • While the Marlins were said to have some interest in Carlos Gonzalez, it seems the organization doesn’t intend to make any further additions at the outset of camp. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that the club presently intends to give a chance to Peter O’Brien to stake out a claim to time in right field. That means that Brian Anderson is shifting back to third base, leaving the club with a rather unexpected combination of Neil Walker and Martin Prado slated to share the action at first bse (and other areas in the infield). President of baseball operations Michael Hill says the team will still keep an eye on market opportunities, but is “extremely happy” with the “current group of players.”
  • Nationals reliever Aaron Barrett has been through a gauntlet of terrible arm injuries, but he’s still plugging away at a comeback effort. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, the 31-year-old righty is showing some signs of real potential while enjoying an opportunity to pitch in MLB camp, though he has a ways to go before he’ll truly be considered for a big league opportunity. Barrett once featured intriguing swing-and-miss stuff, but has made only twenty low-A appearances over the past three seasons.

Jacob deGrom Puts Opening Day Deadline On Contract Talks

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Long-anticipated contract talks between the Mets and star right-hander Jacob deGrom have yet to get underway, though indications are that the sides will explore a new deal in camp. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the sides will need to work quickly if they are to reach agreement, as deGrom has informed the team he will not negotiate during the season.

This news means that the Mets and deGrom have only about six weeks to hammer out the details of what promises to be a monster new contract, if one is to be reached at all. While it’s common for extensions to be announced during camp, it seems in this case that deGrom and his agents at CAA had anticipated much more background dialogue in the months between the Winter Meetings (when they met with Mets officials) and Spring Training.

To be sure, there’s no mandate that the sides reach agreement. They already have agreed to a $17MM arbitration salary for 2019, which includes a record-setting raise befitting deGrom’s historically notable 2018 season. And with deGrom under team control for one more season, there’d still be time to negotiate in the future.

Getting something done now, however, may be the Mets’ best chance to secure deGrom’s future services at a relatively palatable rate. Otherwise, the 30-year-old could decide to take on the risk of health or performance decline with hopes of eventually striking it rich in free agency. His relatively advanced age is a factor, to be sure, but to this point deGrom has been a workhorse and he projects to enter the open market in advance of his age-33 season. If his ensuing two campaigns are anything like the one he just wrapped up, he’ll have no trouble commanding big numbers on the open market. That said, deGrom is plainly interested in capitalizing on his 2018 excellence, and is also surely aware of the risks that come with pitching through two full MLB seasons.

There are some other considerations here. Puma notes, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv has suggested previously, that deGrom’s current agent — Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen’s former partner Jeff Berry — has suggested that players have on-field recourse to utilize against their employers to gain leverage in an increasingly unfriendly market setting. Specifically, he proposed that pitchers self-impose workload limits if they aren’t protected by long-term agreements. That path — sure to be highly controversial if implemented — seems to be on the table here. Public perception would be an important consideration in how that would play out, and also colors the present talks. The Mets had given fans (as well as deGrom) reason to believe that they’d make a big push to lock up the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Now, the onus seems to be on the organization to come forward with a significant offer.

Latest On Mets’ Pitching Staff

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While the Mets seem to have largely built out their 2019 pitching staff, there’s still some potential offseason work to be done. That may not mean bringing in new arms, though, so much as looking into new deals with existing ones.

There had been a general expectation that the Mets would pursue another rotation piece, whether to compete with or displace Jason Vargas in the #5 spot. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen cast doubt on that concept in an interview today with Andy Martino of SNY.tv (video link).

The Mets will “still stay in touch” with free agents, says Van Wagenen, but the team presently has “no plans to sign an additional starting pitcher.” Rather, per the rookie GM, the plan is to head down to camp and evaluate from there.

Whether or not Spring Training will provide opportunities — or create needs — for the Mets to consider additional hurlers, it’s expected to serve as a stage for contract talks. In particular, indications are that the club still intends to explore a new deal with star pitcher Jacob deGrom.

That negotiations haven’t yet started “has left the deGrom camp, at a minimum, disappointed,” according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. From the team’s perspective, Van Wagenen did not indicate that anything has changed. To the contrary, he says that he still “hope[s] Jacob deGrom is a lifelong Met.” There’s still ample time for talks to get started, of course — camp hasn’t opened, and deGrom is controlled for two more seasons — but it’s certainly interesting to hear that deGrom’s reps have been displeased at the lack of communication to this point.

Interestingly, Sherman also reports that the Mets have designs on holding talks with Zack Wheeler, who is earning $5.975MM in 2019 before reaching free agency. Wheeler is an interesting potential extension target, as he’s fresh off of an impressive season in which he re-emerged following a three-year run of injuries and struggles. He’s younger than deGrom and closer to free agency, but hasn’t reached his rotation mate’s successes on the mound and has a much more worrisome track record. Wheeler is a difficult player to value in a hypothetical extension scenario, so it’ll be interesting to see if the sides are able to line up on a deal.

Quick Hits: Mets, deGrom, A. Jones, Marlins, Jays

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A few notes from around the game…

  • The Mets and right-hander Jacob deGrom began discussing a contract extension in December, but the two sides haven’t exchanged any offers yet, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. DeGrom, who’s controllable through 2020, is on track to enter camp on the $17MM salary he secured upon avoiding arbitration earlier this month. It stands to reason, however, that the team and player will engage in more substantive talks prior to the season. If serious negotiations take place, they’ll be particularly interesting to monitor given that deGrom’s previous agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, is now the Mets’ general manager. Van Wagenen challenged the Mets to either extend or consider trading deGrom last season, but the club’s previous front office didn’t bite in either case. The rookie GM will now have to help decide how much the team should pay his ex-client over the long haul.
  • Interest in free-agent outfielder Adam Jones has picked up, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggests. It’s unclear which teams are chasing Jones, but rumors centering on the longtime Baltimore center fielder have been scarce this winter. Although he’s a highly respected veteran, the 33-year-old Jones’ halcyon days appear long gone. Jones may no longer be a viable option in center, where he posted minus-18 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-10.5 Ultimate Zone Rating in 2018, and has only been a league-average offensive player in 1,920 plate appearances dating back to 2016.
  • Before he signed a minor league contract with the Marlins in November, Harold Ramirez received offers from 15 teams, the outfielder tells Walter Villa of Baseball America (subscription required). The Blue Jays, with whom Ramirez played at the Double-A level from 2016-18, offered the largest bonus ($32K), but he accepted the Marlins’ $25K proposal because he believes they present a more immediate path to the majors. In fact, the Marlins informed Ramirez that only one of their outfielders, Lewis Brinson, is a lock for a major league roster spot in 2019. Considering the dearth of established outfielders on hand, the 24-year-old Ramirez – formerly a well-regarded prospect – will have an opportunity to vie for a big league job with the Marlins.

NL East Rumors: Rendon, deGrom, Straily

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It’s well known that the Nationals hope to work out a long-term deal with third baseman Anthony Rendon before he reaches free agency next winter, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote over the weekend (subscription required) that Rendon and agent Scott Boras have been eyeing something in the vicinity of Jose Altuve’s extension from a year ago. Altuve was already under contract for two years and $12.5MM at the time he signed for an additional five years and $151MM, which brought his current contract to a total of $163.5MM over seven years. The Nats are already just a few million dollars shy of the luxury tax threshold, and bumping Rendon’s annual value from the reported $18.8MM figure to which he agreed on Friday would likely take them over the limit. The Nats have been willing to exceed that threshold for Bryce Harper, however, and perhaps the allure of keeping Rendon from reaching the open market would be incentive enough to do the same. As Rosenthal explores, the two situations are also somewhat related, as fitting both players onto the payroll would come with luxury repercussions — even when factoring in the likely stream of subsequent moves that would follow a new contract for Harper (e.g. trading a current outfielder).

More from the NL East…

  • There’s still mutual interest in a contract extension between Jacob deGrom and the Mets, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 2018 NL Cy Young winner agreed to a record-setting arbitration raise on Friday when he inked a $17MM contract for the upcoming season, and Puma notes that there’s a belief that any extension would need to cover at least five seasons at rates roughly commensurate with the annual salaries afforded to Clayton Kershaw ($31MM), David Price ($31MM) and Zack Greinke ($34.4MM). That’s a lofty annual price to pay, of course, though after receiving nearly a $10MM raise in arbitration this time around, deGrom’s price tag could approach that point in his final trip through arbitration next season anyhow. He’s controlled through the 2020 season.
  • Other teams have been in touch with the Marlins regarding right-hander Dan Straily throughout the offseason, writes MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro in his latest mailbag column, and it’s possible that Straily could yet be moved before Opening Day. The right-hander agreed to a $5MM salary for the upcoming season on Friday and can be controlled through the 2020 season before reaching free agency. While the 30-year-old Straily was limited to just 122 1/3 innings last season, he’s pitched to a respectable 4.03 ERA over his past 495 1/3 innings at the big league level. Fielding-independent metrics don’t necessarily back that output, but Straily has outperformed his FIP throughout his career and, at the very least, is likely looked upon as a viable back-of-the-rotation option for a team in need of a fourth or fifth starter.

Mets, Jacob deGrom Avoid Arbitration

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Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the Mets have settled on a one-year deal worth $17MM, tweets Andy Martino of SportsNet New York. After earning $7.4MM in 2018, deGrom earns a $9.6MM raise from his 2018 salary, breaking the record for an arbitration raise set by Mookie Betts just hours ago. The $17MM figure represents the highest all-time salary for a pitcher in his third year of arbitration eligibility. deGrom, who will remain under team control through 2020, was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $12.9MM in 2019. It should be noted that the projections’ guiding algorithm cannot account for context, which made deGrom a near lock to eclipse his relatively light projection, as Matt outlined here.

The 30-year-old righty enjoyed a season for the ages in 2018, posting a minuscule 1.70 ERA in 217 innings of work and striking out 269 batters. His efforts earned him 29 out of 30 first-place votes for the NL Cy Young Award despite an unremarkable 10-9 record. However, with the Mets making headlines as perhaps this winter’s most active team, new GM (and former deGrom representative) Brodie Van Wagenen hopes that the team’s offseason upgrades will translate to increased run support for the Mets’ stellar starting staff and vault the club into playoff contention. The staff ace, of course, is an integral part of that winning formula, though it remains unclear whether the team will be willing to dole out a hefty extension in future offseasons to keep deGrom around for years to come. Of course, the club may look to Noah Syndergaard, just 26 years of age, as an alternative, and a significant financial obligation to Robinson Cano over the coming five years may inhibit the team’s payroll flexibility. Regardless, the $17MM payday for deGrom will raise the bar for arbitration-eligible pitchers and lay the groundwork for what his earnings could look like next offseason, when he will be entering his final year of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency.

NL East Notes: Eickhoff, Phillies, deGrom, Mets, Realmuto, Braves

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The latest from the National League East . . .

  • Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who made just three late-season appearances for the club in 2018 after battling wrist pain and numbness stemming from untreated carpal tunnel syndrome, is apparently feeling “100 percent” healthy this offseason after undergoing surgery on October 1, writes The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro. During the moderately-invasive procedure, doctors found that Eickhoff’s palmaris longus tendon was reversed, a rare occurrence even in patients exhibiting symptoms of the ailment, and one that very likely had compounded his discomfort. With the pain-free outlook for 2019, the 28-year-old Eickhoff figures to be in the mix at the back end of a Philly rotation that currently includes Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez, and Zach Eflin. Acquired in the 2015 deal that sent Cole Hamels to Texas, Eickhoff is arguably the most accomplished of the bunch, having put together a career ERA south of four (3.91), though his fielding-independent metrics are a bit less propitious, and his stuff – a 90.8 MPH average career fastball that showed little signs of decline even in his supposed injury-hampered ’17 and ’18 seasons – clearly lags behind the rest.
  • Despite last summer’s near-ultimatum from current boss Brodie Van Wagenen to either extend or trade former client Jacob deGrom, the team has thus far held back from either. Though the former option remains a “priority,” per sources of the New York Post’s Mike Puma, the team has yet to even present an extension offer to the 30-year-old ace. The reigning Cy Young Award winner had a dream 2018, posting a minuscule 1.70 ERA/1.99 FIP on the way to 8.8 fWAR, the best season for a Mets starting pitcher since Dwight Gooden’s 1985 campaign. It’s unclear whether the Mets will be willing to pony up the necessary cash, which should be considerable, as the team has also co-ace Noah Syndergaard, four years deGrom’s junior, to consider, to say nothing of the huge payout guaranteed to Robinson Cano over the next five seasons.
  • Per The Athletic’s David O’Brien on Twitter, it doesn’t appear Miami’s asking price for catcher J.T. Realmuto has dropped much, if at all. Per O’Brien, “no new” discussions have taken place since December’s Winter Meetings, and Atlanta has “moved on” to other needs. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Fish are still insisting on major-league pieces with three or more years of team control remaining for Realmuto, which has set off a veritable chain reaction of balking suitors around the league. It seems increasingly unlikely, at this point, that Miami will get what it desires for Realmuto, and the Fish could face stern brushback around the league if the catcher regresses his to offensive baseline from 2015-17 before next season’s trade deadline.
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