The Blue Jays and other trade destinations for Rangers star pitcher Jacob deGrom

Upon reflection, the Texas Rangers should have known they’d lose on Thursday afternoon once they realized how well Jacob deGrom was pitching.

Working to keep the Rangers alive in the AL West and Wild Card race, deGrom limited the Mariners to one hit over six scoreless innings on Thursday afternoon. The two-time NL Cy Young winner recorded 12 strikeouts, his most since joining the Rangers ahead of the 2023 season, but earned a no-decision in the crushing 4-3 loss.

Such is familiar territory for deGrom, who had many such games during his peak years with the Mets. He’s rediscovered his elite form in recent weeks, recording a 0.95 ERA and a 27-1 K-BB ratio over his last 19 innings. However, the Rangers have dropped two of those three starts and trail the Astros by three games in the AL West. Texas woke up on Friday sitting two games behind Cleveland for the AL's third and final Wild Card spot, and time is quickly running out.

News emerged following of the Aug. 3 trade deadline that deGrom refused to waive his no-trade clause and join the Braves, and we expect rumors about his future to only increase in the coming weeks. He’s guaranteed $37 million next season, and he has a $20 million club option for 2028. Interestingly, that option converts into a $37 million player option if he throws 160 innings, places within the top five of AL Cy Young voting, and ends the season healthy. 

So, which teams make the most sense for deGrom as a possible 2027 landing spot? Let’s start with two clubs he’s spent plenty of time around. 

Honorable mention: Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies

Given that deGrom and the Braves make perfect sense for one another, their inclusion as an “honorable mention” might seem surprising. But if he wasn’t willing to accept a trade this past deadline, then what, if anything, would change over the offseason?

We’re also lumping the Phillies in here because they’re essentially in the same position: both clubs are deGrom’s former NL East rivals and have a veteran-heavy, championship-caliber roster. You almost have to feel bad for the Mets, until you remember that they’re, well, the Mets.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles already added one all-time Mets great in Pete Alonso, so why not double up and trade for deGrom? That’s assuming, of course, that ownership is willing to further upgrade the roster rather than use last month’s Adley Rutschman trade as an excuse to justify another rebuild. 

Although Luis Robert Jr. has already returned to his frequent spot on the injured list, the fact that the Orioles were willing to eat $5 million for his services bodes well for a potential deGrom trade. There aren’t many divisions where all five teams can say they realistically view themselves as playoff teams. 

New York Mets

With how much goodwill Steve Cohen and David Stearns have lost over the last two years, you’d think they’d be open to reuniting with deGrom. Whether he’d be interested in returning to New York, though, is the true question. He’s easily among the greatest pitchers in franchise history, and his 43.9 bWAR ranks fourth behind only Tom Seaver, David Wright, and Dwight Gooden.

Interestingly, the Mets haven’t hinted that they intend to intentionally slash costs this coming offseason. We still believe that a Francisco Lindor trade is worth exploring for all parties, so could the two former teammates swap homes in what would effectively be a salary dump?

Los Angeles Dodgers

As we’ve said before, you can never exclude the Dodgers from lists like these. DeGrom would have made sense even before Shohei Ohtani’s knee issues, which are raising significant questions about his long-term viability as a two-way player. There is also the Dodgers’ history of starting pitcher injuries, a trend that Yoshinobu Yamamoto has somehow avoided.

Imagine telling your grandchildren that you once saw a Dodgers team with deGrom, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts all in the lineup. We should all be so lucky, so long as the end result isn’t an 11-0 loss. 

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are only one game back of Cleveland in the Wild Card race, which would go a long way toward completely rewriting the narratives about a horrifically disappointing 2026 campaign. We expect Toronto to be aggressive this offseason, and taking a chance on deGrom to help navigate a loaded AL East is definitely worth considering.

So long as deGrom can hold off Father Time for another year, he and Dylan Cease would make for an imposing 1-2 duo atop the rotation. Besides, acquiring the five-time All-Star means keeping him from the Red Sox and Yankees, which might be the most significant victory. 

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