New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom Still Plans to Opt-Out After Season

Jacob deGrom is back with the Mets, but he still intends on opting out of his contract after the season.

It's official, Jacob deGrom is scheduled to start a baseball game for the New York Mets on Tuesday in D.C. for the first time since July 7, 2021.

This is a major acquisition for a surging Mets squad that looks to be clicking at the right time. 

"It's been a long time," deGrom told reporters at LoanDepot Park on Sunday. "This has been a pretty slow process of coming back, so excited to be out there. Nerves haven't really set in yet, but I'm sure Tuesday I'll be pretty nervous."

DeGrom, 34, who made his MLB debut in 2014, compared his upcoming return to his first MLB start, which came eight-years ago.

That said, when asked if he still intends to opt-out of his contract after the season, deGrom indicated that remains the plan.

Should deGrom revert back to vintage form, a pitcher that is untouchable on the mound, and it helps bring the Mets to a World Series title or at least a deep postseason run, It's hard to envision New York brass letting him walk. On the other hand, Mets will have important players hitting free agency, such as Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco, who are all key candidates to be retained. 

DeGrom's 2023 player option is worth $30.5 million. 

In the meantime, the Mets are hoping deGrom can be counted on every five days for the rest of the way in 2022. The good news is that they appear to have identified what might have caused his shoulder injury during camp, and took things slow with him in his rehab.

"We looked at why we thought it happened with a quick ramp-up, so played it safe by taking extra days and making sure everything was where we wanted it that way there was no setback in the process," deGrom.

Now, the ace is ready to go. 

"I'm ready to help these guys win," he said, while also being open about how difficult it has been to watch the team's success from the sidelines. 

"The ultimate goal is to win a World Series. Watching these guys go out there and compete has been fun, but it’s a lot more fun to go out there and compete with them.”

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