Mets ace Jacob deGrom wants to remain with the team. He has made that clear. He said so at the All-Star Game. He said it again Friday before the start of the Subway Series. His agent, Brodie van Wagenen, has stressed if an extension is not in the picture, he would want the Mets to deal deGrom.
But what the Mets want is what’s best for the organization, assistant general manager John Ricco said. So anything is possible.
“We have talked with Brodie a little bit, and we certainly respect Jacob’s position, but we also have an obligation to do what’s best for the organization, and whether that’s trading him, extending him or letting the contract play out, that is what we have to keep in mind: What’s the best thing for the organization?” Ricco said Friday. “We’ll continue our dialogue. We have talked to Brodie, and right now our focus is on the trade deadline.
“We respect that position, but we have to keep our eye on what’s important, what’s the best thing for the organization.”
DeGrom, with an MLB-leading 1.68 ERA, has done everything but rent a billboard to proclaim his desire to stay a Met. He reiterated his stance Friday and noted how he and his camp got in front of the matter at the break.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here, like I said. In 2015, that was a blast, and I want to win here. That’s what we want to do,” said deGrom, who will face the Yankees on Sunday at the Stadium. “Wanting to be part of the future, I hope the feeling’s mutual. And we’ve got a good relationship with the Mets. All this trade talk, it was going to come up either way. It was our way of kind of getting ahead of it.
“With what we said at the All-Star Game, I’ve been answering a lot of questions about it anyway. So we have a good relationship with the Mets, and that’s kind of how we’ve talked to them. We’ve been talking. It was kind of our way of saying, ‘Hey we know what’s going on.’ ”
This being New York, the matter will continue to be addressed over and over — unless there is a trade. If not, there will be more talk of an extension, which could be shelved until the offseason.
“We haven’t gotten into that level of detail yet. … Obviously with a pitcher of Jacob’s caliber that topic comes up,” Ricco said. “We’re going to have to discuss it, continue to discuss it internally, and if something makes sense that’s in the best interest of the organization we’ll certainly explore it.”
DeGrom noted how he and fellow starters hope to remain with the Mets. Ricco was asked if he thought deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, who opened the Subway Series on Friday, would stay put.
“I don’t know that,” Ricco said. “[Recently] we said we were open to really anything that improved the club, including moving any of our players. While I don’t think that’s likely we still have a few weeks to go here and we’ll see. We’re looking at all ways to make this club better.”
DeGrom denied frustration at his notorious lack of run support and all other issues. He just does his best to block out the noise, he said.
“I just think, ‘Go out there and continue trying to do what I’ve been doing.’ Try to block all that out and just go pitch,” deGrom said. “I haven’t been frustrated at all. I’ve loved playing here. And that’s how the system works. You don’t have to sign anybody. I’ve enjoyed my time here and I’d like to be part of the future here.”
