The Texas Rangers find themselves in a trade-deadline dilemma, hovering at .500 as the midpoint of the 2025 season approaches, with escalating speculation surrounding their ace, Jacob deGrom.
MLB insider Joel Sherman from the New York Post suggested a possible reunion between the 36-year-old right-hander and his former team, the New York Mets, where he spent the first nine years of his career.
The Mets could benefit from the added pitching depth and a proven ace. Their successful 2025 campaign has been marred by injuries to the starting rotation. While Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are recovering, their ace, Kodai Senga, is out for at least a month with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
After strong starts, Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill are notably declining.
If the Rangers’ situation worsens, interest in deGrom will likely surge. He has been outstanding this season with a 6-2 record, a 2.19 ERA, and 80 strikeouts in his first 14 starts.
However, the idea of the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, one of the Mets’ all-time greats, returning to Queens seems improbable.
Much of this hinges on the financial aspect. The Mets’ potential package to acquire deGrom wouldn’t need to be large if they took on most of his salary. He still has two years and $75 million remaining on his contract, including a $40 million payout for this season.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has two main principles:
1. Preserve the farm system, which would be necessary to acquire deGrom unless the Rangers cover some of his salary.
2. Avoid hefty spending on starting pitchers, evidenced by recent signings like Luis Severino, Manaea, Clay Holmes, Canning, and Montas.
Additionally, there’s uncertainty due to deGrom’s injury history, well-known to the Mets. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, had an ulnar nerve surgery in 2016, pitched 92 innings in 2021 before forearm tightness sidelined him, and appeared in just 64.1 innings in 2022, his last year with the Mets, due to a stress reaction in his shoulder.
In his first year with the Rangers following a five-year, $185 million deal, he underwent another Tommy John surgery in June 2023. He returned late last season to pitch just 10.2 innings.
Any team pursuing deGrom would be taking a significant risk, but his performance when healthy is undeniable. Since 2018, he has a 2.08 ERA.
Would deGrom even consider rejoining the Mets?
His contract includes a full no-trade clause, and he seemed disinterested in staying a Met upon entering free agency after the 2022 season. New York offered him a three-year deal worth around $120 million, offering a slightly higher annual salary than the Rangers’ offer but lacking duration.
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