Cup of Coffee Extra: Jacob deGrom signs with the Rangers!

Good morning! Today we have a Cup of Coffee extra in honor of the first monster free agent deal of the offseason! But, before we get to it, I wanted to let everyone know that with this post I am kicking off my annual Winter Meetings Subscription Sale!

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Jacob deGrom signs with the Rangers

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Jacob deGrom agreed to a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers last night. The deal includes an option for a sixth year which could bring the total value to $222 million. The $37 million average annual value is second all-time behind Max Scherzer’s $43.33 million.

Five years for a pitcher witch deGrom’s injury history — he has thrown only 156.1 innings over the past two seasons — the deal is a bit eyebrow-raising, but the Rangers just friggin’ went for it.

The manner in which they went, going five years where most people assumed that deGrom’s offers would be in the three-year range, clearly made the difference, though. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Mets' last offer to deGrom was around three years and $120 million. I don’t get the sense that that was a final offer or that the Mets walked away or anything, though. It was likely just the case that Texas came in with five and deGrom grabbed it, likely knowing it wouldn’t be beat.

And why wouldn’t the Rangers go for it? Texas starters had a collective 4.63 ERA last season, which ranked 25th in the majors. With deGrom at the top of the marquee above supporting players Martín Perez, Jon Gray, Jake Odorizzi, and introducing Dane Dunning, things seem poised for an improvement. The big question, of course, is whether the Rangers are going to see the insanely dominant Jacob deGrom of 2018-21 during this deal.

deGrom was otherworldly until he suffered a side injury in May of that season, then a shoulder injury, followed by the big one in the form of an elbow injury which shut him down for the year in early July 7. Last season he suffered a stress reaction in his right scapula which kept him on the shelf until August 2. While he was still fantastic at times in 2022, he was knocked around a good bit down the stretch and finished with 3.08 ERA (126 ERA+) in 11 starts. Good pitching but not deGrom pitching. Some of that might’ve been a function of stamina but one never knows. Obviously the Rangers have seen his medicals and wouldn’t have offered him this deal if there were red flags, but deGrom will turn 35 in the middle of the 2023 season and no pitcher lasts forever.

That, of course, is their problem, not ours. And his joining a new team is the Mets problem as far as filling out their 2023 rotation goes. That’s no doubt why reports began swirling late last week over New York focusing on pursuit of Justin Verlander and previous reports of their interest in Carlos Rodón and Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga. If they want to go with multiple solid starters as opposed to a big splash on a Cy Young-caliber pitcher, guys like Jameson Taillon, Chris Bassitt, José Quintana, Taijuan Walker, and Andrew Heaney still walk the Earth as free agents. Either way, they have some work to do.

The Rangers have some work to do too. First up: printing up a hell of a lot of Jacob deGrom Rangers merch for what are no doubt a hell of a lot of excited baseball fans in Texas.

Have a great weekend, everyone. And welcome, a day early, to the 2022 Winter Meetings.