N.Y. Mets Starting Rotation Pitching Front Office High and Tight

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

THE FOUR HURLERS OF THE METROPOLIS

deGROM  ~  SYNDERGAARD  ~  WHEELER  ~  MATZ

New York Mets: Starting rotation putting the squeeze on team finances.

Mincing no words and leaving little open for discussion, three of the Mets top starting pitchers have made their positions clear.

In very certain terms, Jacob deGrom wants an extension done before Opening Day, or have the matter revisited no earlier than season's end.  He made a huge mistake along the way, I believe, when intimating about the potential of withhold innings pitched through the course of the upcoming season.  Whether he meant it or not; or if it was just him allowing his agent to control the narrative; that was something better left unsaid.  I'm also somewhat surprised there wasn't a greater backlash from media and fans.  I presume that's because he's overwhelmingly perceived as the good guy.  Despite the club having two more years of control over deGrom, the onus nonetheless appears on the club to secure their fine upstanding, Cy Young award winning ace.

Be sure Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Wheeler in particular, are paying very close attention to deGrom's negotiations (or lack thereof).  Some of their Spring Training comments already seem to be complicating matters for the Mets.  Syndergaard - although under team control through the 2021 season - says he would very confidently shop his talents on the free agent market if put in that position.  Next year he becomes arbitration eligible, which means the countdown of his skyrocketing cost to the Mets begins now.  Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler most recently made it known any forthcoming deal would need come at his price, be it from the Mets or any other club, and that it's non-negotiable.

How Brodie Van Wagenen handles these forthcoming negotiations should prove quite illuminating insofar as ownership's financially competitive viability.  Always in question ... money continues being an issue because they continue making it an issue.  A scenario was recently brought to my attention (by @HowardMegdal on Twitter in response to a post I wrote last February regarding ownership's outstanding debt) in which it's possible the Wilpons are not necessarily paying down their debt, but instead are merely paying the interest, which may be deemed permissible if a judge decides they posses requisite assets capable of covering said outstanding debt - which they indeed do in form of the Mets and SNY.  But unless some reporter/writer or media outlet actually reports that, this is strictly hearsay and scuttlebutt.  In the mean time, I stand by my post which contains nothing more than what has already been reported by news sources (all linked).  In any event, something is going on and we fans are on to it.

Wheeler is entering his contract year.  He becomes eligible for free agency at year's end.  Brodie and the Mets have already stated they require more than last year's second half performance with which to base a contract offer.  They want Wheeler demonstrating consistent effectiveness over the course of a full season.  It's a fair position to take considering Wheeler's injury history.  But if last year's second half performance is any indication, the strategy can easily backfire in the Mets face.  At that point, why wouldn't Wheeler opt for free agency?  At the very least the Mets can rule out any preferential treatment, I'm sure.