Mets' Frazier: 'You can't trade a guy like Jacob deGrom'
With the trade deadline right around the corner, rumors are swirling like small gusts of wind, and one name frequently being mentioned in the Big Apple is pitcher Jacob deGrom.
One of deGrom's teammates thinks trading the 30-year-old would be a mistake by the front-office brass of the Mets, who will be without general manager and main decision-maker Sandy Alderson for the foreseeable future while he deals with health issues.
"I've said it before, you can't trade a guy like Jacob deGrom," Mets third baseman Todd Frazier said on MLB Network Radio Wednesday. "That guy can be a top pitcher in the league for seven, eight, nine more years to come, for sure.
"He's just nasty, man," Frazier added. "He's just exciting to play behind."
The Mets right-hander is in the middle of a career year, owning the lowest ERA in baseball (1.69) across 101 1/3 innings, but the Mets are reportedly willing to entertain trades for everyone, as they sit 12 games back of first place in the NL East. However, the club is looking for quite a bit in return if it sends deGrom the other way.
He's already been linked to the cross-town Yankees, but a report claims Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar are not up for grabs in a potential deal.
Anyone interested in acquiring deGrom would also be attracted to his club control (not scheduled for free agency until 2021) and cost-effectiveness ($7.4-million salary, arbitration eligible in 2019).