SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Mets gave Jacob deGrom two for the price of $137.5 million — an extension and an excuse to avoid their trip to Syracuse.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner got his wish Tuesday, 48 hours ahead of his Opening Day deadline — signing a five-year extension. The club announced the deal — and The Post learned it is worth $137.5 million.
That matches Johan Santana’s franchise record for guaranteed money given to a pitcher, though Santana’s contract was over six years.
The deal includes a full no-trade clause, an opt-out after the 2022 season and a sixth-year team option for $32.5 million in 2024, which would bring the contract’s total value to $170 million.
While the rest of the Mets flew to Syracuse on Monday night for Tuesday’s workout at the Carrier Dome, deGrom stayed behind in Sarasota, Fla. There, the two sides hammered out the final details of the extension in a daylong, face-to-face meeting that included COO Jeff Wilpon, first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and deGrom’s CAA agents Jeff Berry and Matt Ricatto, according to a source.
By Tuesday morning, deGrom was in New York to take a physical that finalized the deal — three days after the righty said he was “probably not as [optimistic]” as he once was about signing the new contract before taking the mound Thursday against the Nationals. The extension, sure to please most Mets fans, will be formally announced at a 1 p.m. press conference Wednesday in Washington.
“This is a tremendous day for Jacob, his family, our fans and the entire Mets organization,” Wilpon said in a statement. “Last year, Jacob had one of the most remarkable seasons in baseball history and we are excited to be able to reward him. Mets fans can celebrate knowing their ace will remain in Flushing.”
Before Monday’s negotiations made a push to the finish line, the Mets had offered deGrom a three-year, $88 million extension with easily attainable bonuses that would bring the total to $90 million, according to a source. Then the Mets guaranteed the fourth year of new money at $30.5 million and the sides agreed on adding the 2024 option, a source confirmed.
Coming off the best year of his career, in which he registered a 1.70 ERA across 32 starts, deGrom had received a record raise in arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $17 million contract in January. Now, his new deal includes a $10 million signing bonus with salaries of $7 million in 2019, $23 million in 2020, $33.5 million in 2021 and 2022, and $30.5 million in 2023.
“Jacob has proven that he is one of the best pitchers in baseball and we are excited that he is part of the short-term and long-term future of this organization,” Van Wagenen, deGrom’s former agent, said after capping off a significant offseason for the franchise. “I’d like to thank Jacob and his agents as well as Jeff and the entire ownership group for coming together to make this happen. We look forward to seeing him in the blue and orange for many more years to come.”
While deGrom was previously set to hit free agency after the 2020 season, he will now remain a fixture in the Mets’ rotation. The former college shortstop watched and waited during spring training as many of MLB’s other stars inked extensions, including pitchers Chris Sale and Justin Verlander. Noah Syndergaard raised the pressure on Sunday by telling the Mets to “quit all this fuss and pay the man already.”
Tuesday morning, Syndergaard celebrated the extension with a tweet that had deGrom’s name and a money bag emoji, along with a gif of Will Ferrell shouting, “Awesome! Yes!” And within the Mets’ clubhouse, news of the deal sent a message about management’s commitment to winning, Brandon Nimmo said.
“No doubt. Yeah, no doubt,” Nimmo said. “We’re really excited about that. We’re just excited to have Jake for a few more years and the chance to put this behind us.”
“He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” Dom Smith added. “He’s a leader, he’s a competitor and he’s everything you want on this team. … We were definitely thrilled and we’re happy.”
Manager Mickey Callaway declined to elaborate too much because the deal was not yet official when he spoke to the media after the Mets’ workout, but lauded the way deGrom continued to work through spring training.
“It never was a distraction to us on the field,” Callaway said. “I want Jacob here as long as possible.”
Here’s the deal
5 years, $137.5 million
2019 salary, $7M
2019 bonus, $10M
2020, $23M
2021, $33.5M
2022, $33.5M
2023, $30.5M
Contract also includes
– Opt-out after 2022
– $32.5 million team option for 2024 that would bring total to six years, $170 million
Additional reporting by Joel Sherman and Mike Puma
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