Buck Showalter Addresses Quote About Jacob deGrom Leaving New York Mets
Maybe there isn't more to the story.
On Tuesday, Mets manager Buck Showalter downplayed his comment from last month about Jacob deGrom leaving for the Texas Rangers.
"Somebody was saying that Jake’s got some deep thing…that got blown out," Showalter told reporters. "I said Jake said we’ll talk sometime, just want to bring closure. Next thing I know, there was some secret story. That’s not the case. That’s not what he said, but somebody ran with that thing."
In a conversation with NJ.com's Bob Klapisch in January, Showalter said deGrom told him "someday I’d like to sit down with you and explain what really happened" in regards to his free agency and ultimate departure from the Mets.
DeGrom allegedly told Showalter that he thought he was going to stay with the Mets. In the end, the two-time Cy Young Award winner signed a massive five-year, $185 million deal with a conditional sixth-year option with the Rangers.
Shortly thereafter, SNY's Andy Martino reported that deGrom never gave the Mets a chance to match his final offer.
On Tuesday, Showalter indicated that there was no deeper story behind deGrom's departure.
"He’s in a good place. I’m happy for him and his family," Showalter said of deGrom.
After deGrom left, the Mets went out and landed three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on a two-year, $86 million contract. New York also spent close to $500 million in free agency to bring their payroll up to $370 million, the most in MLB history.
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