Jacob deGrom: Top 5 destinations for 2x Cy Young-winning flamethrower in free agency
Jacob deGrom's 2022 season was marred by injury and the New York Mets' inability to get past the Wild Card round despite winning 101 games. Regardless, he enters free agency as the top pitching target.
Despite his injury history and his age - deGrom is 34 years old - he will get a lot of attention. Pitching is often hard to come by, and it's even harder to get perhaps the best pitcher in the game right now.
Here's who deGrom might be suiting up for next season.
#1 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers always have money to spend and they're never afraid to do so. Despite a 111-win season, they did not win the World Series or even a playoff series.
After making it to the NLCS last season, they went out and signed Freddie Freeman, so going after deGrom after an even more disappointing finish shouldn't surprise anyone.
#2 New York Yankees
The New York Yankees know that pitching wins in the postseason and they watched the Houston Astros topple them en route to a World Series title again this year. A team predicated on a "World Series or bust" attitude will have to re-sign Aaron Judge, but deGrom will always be a target for them.
Despite hesitating on big names like Carlos Correa and Bryce Harper recently, they'll probably be interested in the crosstown rival's ace.
#3 San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres shocked the world with an NLCS run this season. After trading for Juan Soto, a core of Manny Machado, Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. will be one of the best in the game. Adding a truly elite starter to an already-solid pitching staff might finally put them over the top.
#4 San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are reportedly going after everyone this offseason. They have money to spend and need a new core of talent. They really want Judge, but the former Mets starter might be a more realistic option. He'll probably be cheaper and they might need pitching a little more.
The Giants did not contend this past season and are in need of a restart. Their farm isn't ready for that, so they'll need to do so via free agency, where names like deGrom are very tantalizing.
#5 New York Mets
The Mets have to be the favorites to re-sign their starter. They have not hesitated to spend boatloads of money on players recently. They won't hesitate to break the bank for an older pitcher, look no further than Max Scherzer's recent $43.3 million contract.
If the Mets don't sign him, it won't be because they can't afford it.