Reese Kaplan -- Post-deGrom Options Drop Off Quickly for the Mets

So what happens to the Mets should Jacob deGrom decide to do his Mike Hampton impression and head out for the biggest starting salary (or the school system for his kids as said Hampton at the time)?  

Well, it would appear that there are short term options that cost big dollars for pitchers on the latter end of their careers.  We've heard some of the names before like Justin Verlander.  You can't argue with what the man has accomplished during his long career with stints in Detroit and Houston that included a Rookie of the Year award and two Cy Young awards.  

He's turning 40 for his upcoming season after 9 All Star appearances and a 2022 season with 18 wins and a 1.75 ERA it would suggest he's not ready to hang them up just yet.  He earned $25 million this past season and is looking to earn still more, hence his opt-out for the same salary.  

The big righthander is going to be costly, but likely not in the $40 million range given his age and questioning his longevity.

Lifetime Los Angeles Dodger southpaw Clayton Kershaw is available as a free agent as well.  He has earned good money for his career and deserved every penny though never in that highest stratosphere of income.  

His closing salary for the LA is "just" $17 million after being in the $30 million per year range from 2015 through 2021.  He finished last year with a 12-3 record and a 2.28 ERA.  He'll get paid by someone, that's for sure. The problem here is similar to what deGrom is offering -- questionable health.  

He's made just 22 starts each of the past two seasons and anyone wanting him to head up their staff is going to be mighty worried about how many starts he will offer.  

He'll get back to higher dollars but with fragility weighing more heavily than age in Verlander's case, the amount offered may not be quite as high despite his three Cy Young awards and 9 All Star appearances.  Taking him out of the Dodger rotation is a good gut punch to the perennial Western Division champs.

Many people are high on Carlos Rodon who has had his own checkered injury history but has put up eye popping numbers for each of the past two seasons.  As a lefty, he is additionally appealing, but he's opting out of a $23 million deal with the Giants, so you know he's seeking $30 million plus for multiple seasons.  The risk of injury is there like it is for deGrom but he's younger, left and less expensive.  He's far from a sure thing going forward but having delivered two years in a row he is less uncertain than many others except when it comes to health.  

Some might advocate making a play for former star hurler Zach Greinke.  Turning 39 his best years are certainly behind him.  During his long career he's earned a Cy Young award and made six All Star teams while also picking up some Gold Gloves.  

His past season with the Kansas City Royals was just OK, having gone 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA over 26 starts.  His last truly good year was 2019 split between the Diamondbacks and the Astros, going 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA.  

He's probably not that pitcher anymore, but he's also not going to cost his new employer over $40 million.  Last year he took a deal for $13 million from the Royals and would likely get the same or less for 2023.  

A reunion with former Met Noah Syndergaard may not be the dumbest idea in the world either.  While he fled in quest of the almighty dollar and did not exactly set the world on fire as he recovered from his arm injuries, everyone in New York well knows what kind of talent he possesses. 

In 2022 he delivered relatively little, going .500 combined for the Angels and the World Series losers, the Philadelphia Phillies.  His mediocre record was accompanied by a 3.94 ERA which is well above his norm.  These 24 starts cost $21 million and he's likely going to be earning quite a bit less for 2023.  

The question for Thor is whether he wants a one-year make-good deal at a deep discount or if he's trying to secure a long term contract at a lower level than he would have gotten if he'd done well this past post-Mets season.  Either way he would be worth kicking the tires and see what it would cost.   

If you're a gambling man, then the best-ever (by a wide margin) 2022 season by Dodger Tyler Anderson is worth considering.  He's been a 4.00 ERA type of pitcher for his entire career until this past year when he went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA in a play for free agent riches now that the 6'2" lefty is available to the highest bidder.  

He earned just $8 million last year and will easily double it in 2022 (if not even higher) as folks gamble that he's found the formula for success after six previous so-so campaigns.  

His best prior season was a combined 7-11 with a 4.53 ERA during 2021.  Consequently, his 2022 season with the Dodgers is either the new Tyler Anderson or a wild one-year ride.  

The dropoff after these stud pitchers is a sizable one.  Yes, there are pitchers who perform at middle-of-the-rotation capability like Nathan Eovaldi, 42 year old Rich Hill, former Chris Bassitt teammate Sean Manaea, a reunion with Michael Wacha who failed miserably as a Brodie Van Wagenen "find" or converting former starting pitcher-turned-reliever Michael Fulmer back to a starter again.  Everyone else is long shot.  

So the question becomes, "After inking Edwin Diaz to a record setting contract, what do you do about deGrom?"  Some would say if the team beefed up the offense then spending $43 million or thereabouts for who knows how many games from deGrom is not necessarily the best option.  Others who lived through the multiple losses of Tom Seaver never want to see that kind of talent leave.  

The real question is what is the plan if indeed deGrom is not going to return to the Mets?