Jacob deGrom Discusses Leaving the Mets for the Rangers

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Watching from afar while he played for the Mets, Jacob deGrom said he had his eye on the Texas Rangers. He did not get to see them play often, but definitely noticed when they doled out $581 million in contracts before the 2022 season to a group of free agents headlined by the All-Stars infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

“You see those headline names, two of the best players in the game up the middle sign here, it definitely sparks interest,” deGrom said.

After a 102-loss season in which their team had one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, Rangers officials were public about their desire to improve that area. To do so, the team’s majority owner, Ray Davis, authorized another winter spending spree. DeGrom noticed that, too.

“Sitting down in the off-season and going over places where you can see yourself, they were on the top of the list,” he said while standing at his locker here before a spring training game over the weekend.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/sports/baseball/jacob-degrom-rangers.html