The New York Mets have to be thrilled after locking up their ace for the next five seasons.
Jacob deGrom, the winner of the 2018 NL Cy Young Award, agreed to a 5-year, $137.5 million extension with his team on Wednesday. This deal also includes a club option for a sixth year valued at $32.5 million, which could take the total value of the deal to $170 million.
The deal will keep deGrom in a Mets uniform until he is 35 years old, at the least.
DeGrom has established himself as one of the top starting pitchers in baseball in recent years. Despite being an unheralded prospect and a ninth round draft pick, his blazing fastball and sharp slider have propelled him to be one of the best strikeout artists in the game.
The 2018 season was historical for deGrom, who claimed the award as the National League’s top pitcher for the first time in his career. He dominated batters to the tune of a 1.70 ERA, striking out 269 batters in 217 innings on the mound.
DeGrom has been excellent throughout his career since debuting in 2014, holding a 55-41 record with a 2.67 ERA.
The Mets and DeGrom will remain together for the forseeable future.
