Superstar pitcher Jacob deGrom says World Series aspirations are why he joined Texas Rangers
Superstar pitcher Jacob deGrom met the media Thursday, five days after leaving the New York Mets to sign a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers.
A member of the Mets for the first nine years of his major league career, deGrom explained that a shared vision was behind leaving the "Big Apple" for the "Lone Star State".
"That's the goal, winning a World Series," he said. "These guys all had that same vision, and it lined up with what I wanted to do. They showed a ton of interest right from the start, and the feelings were mutual. I'm just very happy to be here."
"Hearing the vision of what the Rangers want to do...bringing a World Series here is the goal"
Jacob deGrom on why he joined the Texas Rangers: https://t.co/EnkQiXdgh2
"Hearing the vision of what the Rangers want to do...bringing a World Series here is the goal" - Jacob deGrom on why he joined Texas, via SNY
Jacob deGrom, 34, was considered by many to be one of the riskier big names available on this winter's free agent market. He hasn't made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019 due to a litany of arm, shoulder, and upper-body injuries that have plagued the Mets ace over the past three years.
However, when healthy, deGrom is one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation. After being taken by New York in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, deGrom won two Cy Young Awards with the Mets and was a member of New York's 2015 World Series-winning squad.
Nicknamed "The deGrominator" and "Jake de Groat," deGrom was the 2014 Rookie of the Year and a key member of the Mets' 2015 staff that also featured Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. While the other two have seen their careers trail off in seasons since, deGrom maintained his dominating form until injuries began to take their toll at the beginning of this decade.
However, with an average of 179 strikeouts per season and a lifetime ERA of 2.52, the Rangers clearly believe the high risk is worth the high reward the team could reap by having Jacob deGrom lead its starting staff.
Jacob deGrom the latest of Rangers big star spends
The Rangers have rarely shied away from opening the pocketbook to land a superstar. Texas now adds Jacob deGrom's salary to a ledger that swelled last season with the free-agent signings of shortstop Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million) and second baseman Marcus Semien (7 years, $175 million), shoring up their middle infield for several seasons to come.