Ever since he left following the 2022 MLB season, New York Mets fans have asked the question of whether the organization made the right decision letting Jacob deGrom walk away and sign with the Texas Rangers. Admittedly, deGrom might not have wanted to come back, but there's also no way the Mets elected to match or top the five-year, $185 million offer Texas gave him, so we'll never know unless he tells us.
The argument for letting him go was simple - the injuries were piling up, and he was an older starting pitcher. The argument for letting him stay was also rather simple - he's Jacob deGrom.
As deGrom prepares to make his long-awaited return to Citi Field as a visiting player, the question of whether the Mets were justified in letting him go is worth asking again. My answer is yes, but it's complicated.
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Jacob deGrom proved concerns right in record time
Those who feared that deGrom, a pitcher who hadn't made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019, would suffer a major injury over the course of his massive contract were proven right almost instantly when the right-hander needed to undergo Tommy John Surgery after just six starts with his new team.
deGrom pitched well in those six starts, posting a 2.67 ERA, but that's all Texas got that year. Now, Rangers fans aren't complaining as they won the World Series in spite of that, but all deGrom gave them was six starts in 2023 and three starts at the tail end of the 2024 campaign. Yes, deGrom combined to make just nine starts in the first 40 percent of the contract.
The contract, because of essentially two wasted seasons, doesn't look great. With that being said, deGrom is healthy now, and he's had an outstanding 2025 season.
Jacob deGrom is proving why he got the contract he did
There are questions about his durability and his age, but even at age 37 and coming off Tommy John Surgery, Jacob deGrom is still undeniably one of the game's best starters. In 27 starts this season, deGrom has a 2.78 ERA across 155.2 innings of work, and he's struck out 169 batters while issuing only 35 walks. He's dialed it back velocity-wise in an effort to stay healthy, which is why his strikeout rate is at "only" 27.9 percent, but the results speak for themselves. He was an All-Star and could easily finish in the top five of the AL Cy Young balloting.
You don't know when he'll pitch or how long he'll be able to stay in a given game, but what you do know is that when deGrom does pitch, you're getting a bonafide ace. deGrom has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but three of his starts this season and has allowed one run or fewer 11 times. Nearly half the time he's taken the ball he's held the opposition to one run or fewer, which is essentially where he's been throughout his career.
The Rangers knew what they were getting into, but were willing to pay for his dominance. They've gotten that when he's been healthy enough to take the mound.
From an objective lens, Mets did not make a mistake letting Jacob deGrom go
Rangers fans aren't going to complain about the contract because they won it all even with deGrom out, but had that not happened, we'd probably hear more about how the Rangers paid $70 million for a total of nine starts across two seasons. Even if he threw nine shutouts in those outings, deGrom making essentially $7.7 million per start in his first two years with Texas is far from team-friendly.
Given what ended up happening, it's pretty inarguable that the Mets were wise to let deGrom go. As great as he is, 40 percent of the deal was essentially a wash.
What I will say is that if anyone could afford to pay deGrom to sit a lot and dominate on occasion, it's Steve Cohen, the richest owner in the sport. This contract wouldn't have hamstrung the Mets as it has for other teams, even potentially the Rangers, but that doesn't make this a wise financial investment for them to have made.
Mets miss Jacob deGrom now more than ever
Whether the Mets made the right decision or not can be debated, but what's inarguable is that the Mets really miss him right now. The 2025 Mets could use exactly what deGrom is - an established ace.
If the Mets miss out on the playoffs, their starting rotation will be the biggest reason why. Both David Peterson and Kodai Senga starred in the first half, but have struggled down the stretch. Sean Manaea has had a lost season. Frankie Montas has been a non-factor. The only starters they can somewhat trust right now are rookies Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat.
Plugging deGrom to the top of this Mets' rotation would have them sitting comfortably in a postseason spot and potentially even in the NL East race. He's been that good. They might not have missed him much when he was out in 2023 and 2024, but now that he's healthy and performing like this, they miss him dearly, especially given their rotation need.
Steve Cohen could've afforded it, and that's what makes it sting even more.
Jacob deGrom should've been a lifelong Met
It's fair to believe that the Mets probably shouldn't have matched or topped Texas's offer, but I, a biased 26-year-old Mets fan, will still say that deGrom should've been a lifelong Met. He's the greatest pitcher I've ever seen, and might even find his way into the Hall of Fame one day. Knowing that his plaque would read Mets and Rangers at the very least, is not easy.
Giving deGrom the contract he got might not have aged well, but there's something to making a guy of his stature a lifelong Met. I mean, the biggest reason why David Wright is so beloved by Mets fans outside of the fact that he was such a good player was that he was a Met, and a Met only. No disrespect to Wright, but deGrom is a tier above what he was as a player. Had that guy stuck around for his entire career, how cool would that have been? Wright was awesome, but when deGrom took the mound, it truly felt like something special could've happened every fifth day. He was on top of the world at his peak.
It's never a good idea to run your team from an emotional lens, but how can you not with all deGrom accomplished in Queens? He is, in my opinion, inarguably, the second-greatest pitcher this franchise has ever had behind only Tom Seaver. His No. 48 should be up in the rafters when he eventually hangs up the spikes. This might still happen, but it would've been a certainty had he stuck with the Mets forever.
I don't know whether deGrom even wanted to remain in New York, so I can't speak for him, but if he did, it's hard to fully get behind the Mets letting him walk. Objectively, it was the right decision. The Mets fan in me, though, is having trouble watching him dominate in another uniform, even knowing the injury concerns.
I'm not going to say the Mets made a mistake letting him go, but it absolutely sucks having to watch him pitch at Citi Field in another uniform, especially knowing how good he still is. It's great that he's healthy and dominating, but this should've been done in a Mets uniform. I will never waver from that.
My hope is that Mets fans give deGrom the ovation he deserves on Friday night. The Mets might not have made an objective mistake letting him go, but the scene will be emotional at Citi Field and in front of my TV knowing that he's pitching in a game the Mets are playing, but against them.