Report: Insiders Think Mets' Jacob deGrom 'Could Tempt' Teams into Large FA Contract

Jacob deGrom hasn't thrown an MLB pitch in a calendar year, but teams are reportedly already considering pursuing him in free agency.

Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported deGrom "could tempt another team to offer a contract above what the Mets consider rational" if he comes back firing on all cylinders.

The four-time Cy Young winner has a player option in his contract for next season and has confirmed multiple times that he plans to opt out to become a free agent. Circumstances can change, but barring an injury, it feels almost certain deGrom will hit the open market this winter.

Injuries have plagued deGrom over the past two seasons, limiting him to 15 starts in 2021 and holding him out the entire 2022 campaign thus far. He made his return to the mound last week in a rehab start, striking out five of the six hitters he faced while averaging 99 miles per hour on his fastball.

"He's hit every benchmark, and we're happy with that," Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters. "We'll see how he does on Sunday, and we'll see if there's any adjustments to the schedule we have that need to be made. We know where it could take us."

When healthy, deGrom remains among the best pitchers in baseball. He was 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 0.55 WHIP before being shut down last July.

If deGrom returns to his former form in the big leagues, he'll have no shortage of suitors—injury concerns or not. Buster Olney of ESPN reported the rival Atlanta Braves are considered the favorites to sign deGrom if he hits free agency.