Jacob deGrom and the Mets failed to reach a contract agreement for the 2016 season. As a result, the pitcher will have to settle for a $607,000 paycheck this year, the Associated Press reported.
Despite not signing his 2016 contract, deGrom still receives a nine percent raise from his $531,875 base salary last year, plus a $25,000 bonus for winning the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2014.
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"That's the business side of the game," deGrom said. "That's why I hired my agents. I feel like I have some of the best in the business, and it's a business decision that we decided to make. We have great respect for the Mets and the system they have, and I feel like we have a great relationship with them.
"As I've said before, I love playing here and I want to be in this uniform for a long time. It was just a decision based on the business side of the game."
Per MLB's collective bargaining agreement, the Mets have the right to renew deGrom's contract from March 2-11, with or without an agreement on his part.
Because deGrom has not achieved enough major league service time to be arbitration-eligible, the Mets could assign him any salary they chose above the MLB minimum of $507,500.
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"We respect the Mets' right to determine a pre-arbitration player's salary and their effort to be consistent with their players," agent Brodie Van Wagenen, co-head of CAA Baseball, said. "But given Jacob's standing as one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball and his 2015 performance, his worth cannot be properly valued by a formula. Like the Mets, he is simply exercising his rights under the [collective bargaining agreement]. This will not affect Jacob's relationship with the Mets. Both parties are focused on preparing for the season and getting the Mets back to the World Series."
DeGrom should be eligible for arbitration next offseason, since he should have two years (or 139 days) of major league service. If that happens, he would have four years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent after the 2020 season.