Jacob deGrom declines to sign 2016 contract offered by Mets, will be paid $607,000
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom throws a bullpen session on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/ Alejandra Villa
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jacob deGrom believes he should be paid more than the $607,000 he was offered by the Mets this season, which is why he declined to sign the contract. So, as is their right, the Mets unilaterally renewed deGrom’s deal.
The Mets’ offer was $99,500 above the major-league minimum of $507,500. By rule, players who are not yet eligible for salary arbitration have no choice but to accept contracts, though deGrom’s refusal to sign off essentially is a sign of protest.
Even though the two sides failed to agree to a contract for this season, deGrom insisted that his interest in a possible long-term deal with the Mets has not changed. He is expected to have more leverage next season, when he’s projected to have enough service time to qualify for salary arbitration.
“It was a business decision we decided to make,” deGrom said. “We have great respect for the Mets and the system that they have and I feel like I have a great relationship with them. As I’ve said before, I love playing here and I want to be in this uniform a long time. It was just a decision based on the business side of the game.”
Teams vary in how they establish salaries for so-called “zero to three” players — players who have yet to reach the three years of service time needed to reach arbitration. Like many clubs around the game, the Mets use a formula based on specific statistics and awards, which general manager Sandy Alderson called “a fairly straightforward approach.”
“We feel that our approach has been fair,” he said. “I think the fact that we signed the other 24 players and all of those in previous years that I’ve been there suggests the same thing. But from our standpoint, it really has no ongoing bearing on our relationship with Jacob or how we will approach zero-to-three players next season.”
In a statement, deGrom’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, questioned whether the formula accurately captured deGrom’s value.
“We respect the Mets’ right to determine a pre-arbitration player’s salary and their effort to be consistent with their players,” Van Wagenen said. “But given Jacob’s standing as one of the top pitchers in major league baseball and his 2015 performance, his worth cannot be properly valued by a formula. Like the Mets, he is simply exercising his rights under the CBA.”
Added Van Wagenen: “This will not affect Jacob’s relationship with the Mets. Both parties are focused on preparing for the season and getting the Mets back to the World Series.”
Though the Mets abide by a formula, it is not unprecedented for teams to pay star players at a much higher rate.
For example, the Angels agreed to a $1-million deal with Mike Trout in 2014 before he was eligible for arbitration. The Marlins gave Jose Fernandez $635,000 in 2014 at a time when his service time was comparable to deGrom’s.
DeGrom already has racked up an impressive resume. The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year went 14-8 with a 2.54 ERA last year, finished seventh in the Cy Young Award voting and struck out Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis and Jose Iglesias on 10 pitches in the All-Star Game.
As for a potential extension, deGrom and Alderson said there have been no discussions thus far in camp. Both sides insisted that the dispute over this year’s salary should have no ramifications in future discussions.
“We haven’t talked about anything yet and I don’t think this will affect that in any way,” deGrom said. “I think we’re still open to discussions for long-term things, but nothing’s in the works now. And I don’t think this will have any effect on that.”
Why is Jacob deGrom making $607,000 for the 2016 season?
— Until a player reaches three years of big league service time, his salary is set at the discretion of the club so long as it is at or above the league minimum of $507,500. DeGrom has less than two years of service.
— A player’s only recourse is to decline signing the offer, at which point clubs simply renew the contract unilaterally.
— Each team has its own method of determining salaries for players with less than three years of service time, also known as “0-to-3” players. The Mets use a formula based on statistics and awards. Based on the Mets’ internal formula, the team proposed a $607,000 salary for deGrom. He declined to sign the contract, thus he was renewed.
