Report: Jacob deGrom to sign five-year extension with Mets

Jacob deGrom has agreed to terms on a five-year extension with the New York Mets worth $137.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

DeGrom led the league with an 1.70 ERA over 217 innings in 2018, while striking out 269 batters and claiming the NL Cy Young Award. Despite the strong individual performance, he finished the season with a 10-9 record and the Mets wound up fourth in the NL East.

New York managed to avoid arbitration with the 30-year-old pitcher in January by signing a one-year, $17-million pact. The two sides had set Opening Day as a deadline for negotiations on a multi-year deal, and this new agreement comes with just a few days the spare.

Teammate Noah Syndergaard spoke out in support of his Ace earlier this week, questioning the Mets’ approach to negotiations.

“I think Jake’s the best pitcher in baseball right now,” Syndergaard said. “I think he deserves whatever amount he’s worth. I want to keep him happy so when it does come time for him to reach free agency he stays on our side pitching for the Mets.

“I think they should just quit all this fuss and pay the man already.”

– With files from The Associated Press

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