Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Jacob deGrom's $137.5 million contract wasn't the biggest one the Mets ever gave out (David Wright got $138 million), and it doesn't stand alone as the biggest the Mets ever gave to a pitcher (it's tied with Johan Santana's deal).
But deGrom's deal is massive. And after signing it it -- like Wright before him -- he's poised to go wire-to-wire as a homegrown Met.
Here's where deGrom's deal stacks up with the biggest in Mets history...
David Wright: $138 million for 7 years on Nov. 30, 2012
Faced with the choice of letting both Jose Reyes and Wright walk and starting over, the Mets kept Wright -- at the time a 29-year-old homegrown face of the franchise whose career line was .301/.381/.506 with 204 homers in nine seasons.
Unfortunately for Wright and the Mets, his health began to deteriorate soon after he signed, and he played just 323 games between 2013 and 2018 before retiring. In the middle of that, he got one of his shining Mets moments -- the homer he blasted in the first inning of Game 3 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field.
Jacob deGrom: $137.5 million for 5 years on March 26, 2019
DeGrom's deal was a special circumstance, with him being two years away from free agency but coming off not only a Cy Young-winning season, but one of the best seasons in the history of baseball.
With deGrom now locked up, the Mets now have no more concerns about the future of their 30-year-old ace -- and a potential new face of the franchise.
Johan Santana: $137.5 million for 6 years on Feb. 2, 2008
The extension for Santana came after the Mets secured a window to sign him after agreeing to acquire him from the Twins via trade.
Santana was entering his age-29 season during the first year of the deal, and he was tremendous for the Mets over the first three seasons -- with a 2.85 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 600 innings. That included the second-to-last game in the history of Shea Stadium, where Santana twirled a complete game to keep the 2008 season alive.
Santan missed the 2011 season due to injury, returning in 2012 and tossing the first no-hitter in Mets history. He was still very good in the first few starts after the no-hitter, but then suffered an ankle injury and hit the DL. Despite repeated comeback attempts with the Mets and others, he never pitched in the majors again.
Carlos Beltran: $119 million for 7 years on Jan. 13, 2005
The "new Mets" were born after the 28-year-old Beltran signed, and what they got was arguably the best position player in the history of the franchise. During his time with the Mets, which included four consecutive winning seasons from 2005 to 2008, Beltran was tremendous.
Beltran hit .280/.369/.500 with 149 homers during the first five years of his deal with the Mets, while playing impeccable defense in center field. In 2011, he hit .289/.391/.513 with 15 homers in 98 games before getting traded to the Giants for minor league pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Yoenis Cespedes: $110 million for 4 years on Nov. 30, 2016
After trading for Cespedes during the 2015 season and having him help them reach the World Series, the Mets re-signed him to a deal for 2016 that included an opt-out. Cespedes hit .280/.354/.530 with 31 homers in 132 games in 2016 before opting out and re-signing.
Since re-signing before his age-31 season, Cespedes has remained highly productive when on the field, but injuries limited him to 81 games in 2017 and 38 games in 2018, with him having surgery on both heels during the season. Still under contract for two seasons, the hope is that Cespedes will return at some point this summer.
Mike Piazza: $91 million for 7 years on Oct. 25, 1998
The trade for the 29-year-old Piazza during the 1998 season jolted the franchise, and the deal they gave him after the season was at the time the largest in baseball history,
During his time with the Mets, Piazza helped lead them to back-to-back postseason appearances, including to the 2000 World Series. He was an absolute beast at the plate, hitting .296/.373/.542 with 220 homers in 972 games across eight seasons.
Piazza retired after the 2007 season, and had his No. 31 retired by the Mets in 2016 -- just days after entering the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque.