Jacob deGrom signs five-year contract with Texas Rangers

deGrom, who, when healthy, is one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever seen, full-stop. That fact will earn him plenty of deserved attention and eager suitors, and it's why he was more than comfortable opting out of a contract that would have guaranteed him $32.5M in 2023 despite only making 12 starts this season including the playoffs. He's just that good. But again, gambling big-time on arms who throw this hard for this long who have had repeated issues pop up is an undeniably large risk. That's a risk, however, that a lot of teams with World Series aspirations should be willing to take. 

For any team that signs deGrom, front executives know that a two-time Cy Young award winner with a 2.52 career ERA greatly increases their organization's chances of lifting a World Series trophy. Some teams may be willing to ignore the injury and age risks. Will the Mets be one of them?
"We'll do whatever we can to make sure he stays," Cohen said in August. "But it's his decision, not ours."