Jacob deGrom: 'I Haven't Really Thought About' 2023 Mets Contract Option

The New York Mets were eliminated from the 2022 postseason on Sunday with a 6-0 loss to the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series at Citi Field, and now the franchise enters the offseason with several questions, one of which regards Jacob deGrom.

The Mets ace has a $30.5 million player option on his contract for the 2023 season, but he told reporters after Sunday's loss that he hasn't put much thought into whether or not he will opt out to become a free agent.

"I haven't really thought about it," deGrom said. "It's disappointing that we lost tonight. That was the goal to move on, and the plan was to be going to L.A. ... So, I haven't really thought about it right now."

DeGrom told reporters in March that he intended to opt out of his contract to become a free agent this winter. However, he said he was open to remaining with the Mets long-term.

"I love being a Met, it would be really cool to be one for my entire career," deGrom said.

Should he opt out of his contract, he will be the most sought-after pitcher on the market and will also likely become the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, surpassing the $43.3 million annual salary of Mets teammate Max Scherzer.

The 34-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career in Flushing, but the Mets will have to pay a pretty penny to keep him in town.

DeGrom's best seasons with the Mets came in 2018 and 2019 when he won back-to-back Cy Young awards as the best pitcher in the National League. In 64 starts across those two seasons, he went 21-17 with a 2.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 524 strikeouts across 421 innings.

During the 2022 season, deGrom went 5-4 in 11 starts, posting a 3.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 64.1 innings. He didn't make his season debut until Aug. 2 as he was rehabbing from a stress reaction in his right scapula.

In the event deGrom opts out, re-signing the four-time All-Star should be one of New York's top priorities this winter. However, the franchise also needs to re-sign star closer Edwin Díaz, who is expected to receive a lucrative deal following the best season of his career in 2022.

On top of that, the Mets need to do some retooling to their offense after posting just one hit against the Padres in Game 3 of the wild-card series on Sunday.

There's a lot of work to be done, and it'll be interesting to see how the Mets front office prioritizes each of the tasks at hand.