First off, I have to admit my way to early Winter Meetings predictions went off the rails in just the day it was posted on Friday and to that my sincere apologies. Many in the industry really thought that DeGrom would resign with the New York Mets and that was the general overview. Now do I think the Rangers get a Rodon or Senga now? I still will stick with the prediction that they will sign Rodon, however, they might go more to the next tier in pitching and sign someone like Taillon or Bassitt. When DeGrom signed the megadeal with the Rangers at 5 years and 185 million many in the industry thought it was a Mega-mistake as one reporter with the NY Post wrote(link below): Jacob DeGrom deal shows even the mistakes are bigger in Texas(written by Jon Heyman). So with that report let's look and see if the signing of DeGrom truly is a Texas-sized disaster?
In the article that Mr. Heyman writes he writes that the deal is NOT EVEN CLOSE to being worth it. Many of his arguments though are not even baseball related and instead the article is more sprawled with nonsense of DeGrom wanting out of New York even as early as the 2020 season due to the masks and vaccinations stuff. He does have some baseball stuff in there and you are more than welcomed to read the article(linked below) and come to your own conclusion. However, I really think that what Mr. Heyman doesn't understand is: how tired the Rangers fans and their ownership group is of losing. So instead of trying to cause divide against New York and Texas folks why don't you look at the facts Mr. Heyman.
Here are the facts for you non baseball fans or folks who don't even keep up with baseball near as much as I or others in the industry do. DeGrom yes signed a deal with Texas at 5 years and 185 million, which if you break it down over the five years with a sixth year conditional this is what you have: 30 million next season, 40 million in 2024 and 2025, 38 million in 2026, and 37 million in 2027. What is this conditional sixth year that we speak about? It is conditional on his health the first four seasons of the contract. Simply put what it states is that: if he undergoes Tommy John surgery or suffers any shoulder or elbow injuries that lead to 130 days injury list within a season or a full calendar year the club option goes away and they void that sixth year. It's valued to be at around 20 million but will jump to close to 30 million if he finishes top-five in Cy Young in any of those years.
Yes he does have injury problems and has NOT had a full season since the 2019 season. However, as VP Chris Young has stated: "We understand that with any player, most notably with pitchers, there is going to be a risk. However, we feel like he gives us a top performer at the top of our rotation." With the injuries that DeGrom has faced over the last few seasons I can see how any Mets fans or even Mr. Heyman may feel about this deal. I GET IT! Will he be overpaid? When is any athlete NOT overpaid? But should Rangers fans have to listen to some nonsense that a reporter wrote that states that according to teammates he was beginning to checkout during the 2020 season due to something NOT EVEN related to baseball?
So what are your thoughts on this topic? Is Signing DeGrom A Texas-Sized Disaster? Or is this a deal that has you all feeling good inside about the direction Chris Young is taking the Texas Rangers? Until next time see you on the web!
Link to Jon Heyman article:
https://nypost.com/2022/12/02/jacob-degrom-deal-shows-even-the-mistakes-are-bigger-in-texas/