Ex-Mets ace Jacob deGrom already has health issues at Rangers spring training

Texas Rangers pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday, but Jacob deGrom will be delayed a day.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports: Jacob deGrom won’t throw today due to some soreness in left side but more about cold weather, wet conditions. Chris Young said Rangers decided to push him back a day

DeGrom, 34, signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers this offseason. The two-time Cy Young Award winner had been with the New York Mets since his MLB debut in 2014.

The Unluckiest Pitching Staff in History

Some guys have all the luck.

Not these guys, mind You.

These guys? They never met a black cat they couldn’t cross, a mirror they couldn’t crack.

Jacob deGrom signs with Rangers

What a HORRIFIC contract! It’s an expensive contract that bases value on hope. The Rangers HOPE he can be healthy enough to provide them value. It’s the kind of contract that gets a GM fired.

DeGrom turns 35 next June. He pitched 64.1 innings in 2022 and 92 innings in 2021.

I expect they went five years to lower the AAV. Of course, it’s a great contract for DeGrom, especially considering he’ll pay no state tax when he pitches in Texas.

It’s a shocker for sure.

Although it might not seem like it now, the Rangers did Mets fans a favor.

The Rangers pulled off a stunner ahead of next week’s Winter Meetings, signing ace right-hander Jacob deGrom to a five-year free-agent contract on Friday night. The deal will pay deGrom $185 million, a source told MLB.com; the club has not confirmed the value of the contract.

Add an intriguing team to the Jacob deGrom mix

To this point, the Mets, Yankees and Rangers are the only teams known to have had contact with free agent starting pitcher Jacob deGrom. Now we can add a surprising fourth team to the list.

According to league sources, the Tampa Bay Rays—true to their policy of practicing due diligence on every big free agent, even if they don’t end up as a match—have spoken with deGrom’s camp.

In addition to Tampa, league sources said that several other teams had talked to deGrom. His market does appear solid.

There is virtually zero chance that the Rays will be the high bidder on deGrom. At this point, it’s hard to see anyone offering deGrom more than the Mets will. But the Rays’ policy is to check in to make sure that free agents don’t have priorities other than money.

One league source compared this situation to the Rays’ pursuit last winter of free agent first baseman Freddie Freeman, when they emphasized to Freeman the quality of life and the lack of state income tax in Florida.