The Mets have an abundance of free agents heading to market this offseason, but none more intriguing than Jacob deGrom, who is opting out of his player option to test the waters despite another season hampered by injuries.
Regardless, the potential line of suitors will likely be endless — and a handsome payday is in the cards for the ace. But will the Mets be the ones to outbid the pack and keep their superstar?
The free-agent market isn’t exactly robust with other top-end options to pair with Max Scherzer in 2023. Here are the biggest names that will be out there.
Jacob deGrom
- 2022 with Mets: 64.1 IP, 5-4, 3.08 ERA, 102 K’s, 0.746 WHIP
- Opening Day 2023 age: 34
- Market Value (AAV): $41.8 million
The best option this season is to find a way to bring deGrom back if the Mets want to ensure a top-tier 1-2 punch in their rotation. It’s going to cost quite a lot, which will be seen as a gamble given his injury history over the last two seasons, but it’s a risk that Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler may have to take.
Justin Verlander
- 2022 with Astros: 175.0 IP, 18-4, 1.75 ERA, 185 K’s, 0.829 WHIP
- Opening Day 2023 age: 40
- Market Value (AAV): $41.7 million
Verlander is going to be 40 years old by the start of the 2023 season, but that hasn’t diminished just how good he’s been in Houston. Coming back from Tommy John surgery this season, the veteran righty is favored to win his third career Cy Young Award after posting the lowest ERA of his career. Of course, bringing him on doesn’t suggest longevity atop the Mets’ rotation with him being paried alongside the 39-year-old Scherzer.
Carlos Rodon
- 2022 with Giants: 178.0 IP, 14-8, 2.88 ERA, 237 K’s, 1.028 WHIP
- Opening Day 2023 age: 30
- Market Value (AAV): $31.6 million
Rodon is the youngest option on this list and also provides a long-term left-handed option for a rotation that has lacked a shutdown southpaw. He’s ben stellar his lts two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, going 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA and a 0.998 WHIP whle averaging 211 strikeouts.
Clayton Kershaw
- 2022 with Dodgers: 126.1 IP, 12-3, 2.28 ERA, 137 K’s, 0.942 WHIP
- Opening Day 2023 age: 35
- Market Value (AAV): $31.3 million
It’s almost inconceivable to envision Clayton Kershaw in another uniform in 2023, but there will be a command for a sizable deal for a player, like deGrom, has ben bitten by the injury bug in recent years. He threw 121.2 innings in 2021 and followed it up with 126.1 this season, but he was still as good as ever and provides another high-end southpaw option.
Tyler Anderson
- 2022 with Dodgers: 178.2 IP, 15-5, 2.57 ERA, 138 K’s, 1.002 WHIP
- Opening Day 2023 age: 33
- Market Value (AAV): $13.6 million
Another lefty, Anderson had a career year with the Dodgers where he posted bests in wins, innings pitched, and WHIP. Just how sustainable can these numbers be, though? He won’t cost nearly as much as the others on this list, but the risk doesn’t lie in health, but rather in the legitimacy of performance.
*All market values courtesy of Spotrac
