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The New York Mets have already landed their replacement for ace Jacob deGrom, and it comes in the form of a three-time Cy Young winner.
New York lost deGrom to free agency this offseason. Rather than sign with the Mets, who he’s played for since his entry into the MLB in 2014, the stud pitcher opted to head to Texas. The flamethrower inked a deal with the Rangers over the weekend, leaving a huge void in the New York starting rotation.
DeGrom has recorded an incredible 2.52 ERA as a pro, winning two Cy Young awards and a Rookie of the Year honor. Losing him hurts, but if there was someone the team could sufficiently replace the ace with, they found him. And rather quickly.
Justin Verlander’s deal with the Mets is for two years and $86 million, per source. It includes a vesting third-year option. After losing Jacob deGrom, the Mets replace him with the American League Cy Young Award winner, who will be paired atop their rotation with Max Scherzer.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2022
On Monday, the Mets announced that it would be signing reigning World Series winner Justin Verlander. The deal is for two seasons, with the team paying more than $40M a year for his services.
Since 2019, Verlander has posted an insane 40-10 overall record while also winning a pair of Cy Youngs. Now, he’ll take that talent to the Big Apple where the Mets are looking to build a World Series roster.
Verlander joins Max Scherzer as New York looks to replicate that potent Detroit Tigers rotation from years back. All that’s missing is David Price.
Social media was quick to react to the signing, with fans posting commentary online.
One Mets fan wrote, “Lose a two-time Cy Young Award winner (Jacob deGrom) on a Friday, replace him with a three-time Cy Young Award winner (Justin Verlander) on a Monday. Easy work.”
Another person commented on the high price tag of landing an aging Verlander by saying, “The Mets now have two (great) 38+ year old starting pitchers earning $43M per year.”
While the pitcher does continue to grow older, it hasn’t had any negative effects on the mound. Verlander had three of his best seasons with the Astros, and he’ll look to continue that success with the Mets.