Jacob deGrom Addresses New York Mets Departure

It was never set in stone.

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom set the record straight over the weekend regarding his offseason departure from the Mets.

According to deGrom, part of him thought he'd return to the Mets in 2023 and beyond, and that he did not necessarily intend to sign with a new team or the Rangers.

"It was never like, I'm outta here," deGrom told Jon Heyman of The New York Post. "You look at places you can see yourself playing. All I had known was New York, and part of me thought I’d be back."

Instead, deGrom signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers and never gave the Mets a chance to match with a final offer.

"It's free agency," deGrom said. "You sit down and say I could see myself here, I could see myself there. Texas showed a ton of interest. Things got moving really, really quickly. And I said, I'm going to be a Texas Ranger."

DeGrom signed a five-year, $137.5 million extension with the Mets prior to the 2019 season. While this deal was under-market, the two-time Cy Young Award winner says he was not annoyed about his contract.

"That kind of got out. (But) I really enjoyed my time in New York," he said. "I have friends that will be lifelong friends in New York. We still keep in touch with a lot of people. That was all I knew for 13 years including eight seasons in the big leagues. The fans and everyone were always great to me. It was never like 100 percent I’m leaving here."

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