The New York Mets continue to walk the precarious line between making Jacob deGrom available or not, and are still discussing the possibility of trading their ace while also appreciating his immense value.
Assistant general manager John Ricco told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com that his club is "still engaged" and "having dialogue with some teams" regarding the availability of the 30-year-old right-hander. However, Ricco added that the Mets still "love him," and that "it would take an awful lot."
Ricco is currently serving as one of the three main executives in charge of baseball operations while general manager Sandy Alderson takes a leave of absence due to cancer. Omar Minaya and J.P. Ricciardi complete the interim trio.
If the Mets do seriously consider trading deGrom, the two-time All-Star would easily be the most coveted arm on the currently underwhelming market. Through 19 starts, deGrom is one of the front-runners for the National League Cy Young Award, as he owns a minuscule 1.68 ERA and 2.33 FIP over 123 1/3 innings.
However, the 40-56 Mets find themselves wallowing in last place in the NL East, even behind the openly rebuilding Miami Marlins.
DeGrom will be under team control through the 2020 season. During the All-Star break, though, deGrom's agent said his client would prefer to either sign a long-term extension in the near future or be traded away.
