Jacob deGrom is not going back to New York. That’s the short version of what SNY Mets insider Chelsea Janes said on November 8, 2026, after a fan asked whether the Mets should chase the right-hander if they missed out on Tarik Skubal in free agency. The hardest evidence: at the July trade deadline, deGrom already blocked a deal to Atlanta by invoking his no-trade clause — choosing to stay in Texas over joining a team actively chasing a postseason run.
What Janes Said and Why It Matters
The topic came up on the SNY Mets Mailbag, hosted by Janes and Michelle Margaux. A fan floated deGrom as a Plan B if the Mets lost the Skubal sweepstakes. Janes didn’t dance around it.
«Jacob deGrom blocked a trade to Atlanta at the deadline because he didn’t want to leave Texas. He has a no-trade clause. Honestly, I don’t see him making the move to New York,» Janes said on the November 8 Mets Mailbag. She went further: «Maybe he’d be willing to move somewhere with a slower pace. But if they had trouble getting him to Atlanta, honestly I don’t see him going to New York.»
That Atlanta detail is what gives everything else its weight. The Braves were a legitimate postseason contender — a team with real October upside. deGrom blocked it anyway. That’s not a negotiating position about money or contract length. That’s a preference about where he wants to live his life.
The Hall of Fame Pitch — and Why It Probably Won’t Work
SNY analyst Anthony DiComo offered a different angle on November 5: the Mets could sell deGrom on legacy. «I think there’s something historic here that’s interesting — maybe you could sell deGrom on the idea of New York,» DiComo said on Baseball Night in New York.
It’s not a crazy argument. deGrom carries a 2.73 career ERA over 13 seasons, won two Cy Young Awards in Queens, and has 1,986 career strikeouts. When his Rangers contract ends, Cooperstown will be hard to ignore. A number retirement in Flushing isn’t out of the question either.
But Janes, who covers this team daily, essentially answered that before anyone asked: if a team fighting for the postseason couldn’t get him to waive his no-trade, a decade-away legacy argument probably isn’t moving the needle. The Mets under David Stearns need rotation help now, and deGrom has both the clause and the stated preference to stay in Texas through at least 2027.
The Market Irony: Rangers Selling, Mets Buying
The frustrating part for Mets fans is that the market looks tailor-made for a reunion. Texas is actively exploring trades involving deGrom, Corey Seager, and Nathan Eovaldi after another disappointing season. The Mets need starting pitching and Stearns has said publicly he’ll go get it. Supply and demand perfectly aligned — except the player has the final say.
deGrom signed with the Rangers in December 2022: five years, $185 million, after opting out of his Mets deal. He has one year left in Texas — $37 million for 2027 — plus a club option for 2028. The no-trade clause travels with the contract, and he’s already shown it isn’t decorative.
For the Mets, the cleaner alternative might be a different Rangers arm. Rising Apple reported on November 10 that Nathan Eovaldi — no no-trade clause, with a prior working relationship with Stearns in Boston — is a more manageable target if the goal is adding from Texas.
deGrom’s 2026 Numbers
None of this changes the fact that deGrom is still a legitimate ace when healthy. His 2026 Statcast profile from 31 starts and 162.2 innings:
- ERA: 4.20 · WHIP: 1.14
- FIP: 3.11 · xERA: 3.47
- Strikeouts: 201 · Walks: 46 (30.1% K rate)
- Fastball: 97.3 mph average, 2,467 rpm spin rate
- Whiff rate: 33.2% · Exit velocity allowed: 90.4 mph
- Barrel rate allowed: 7.9% · Batting average against: .226
How he ranks across MLB:
- K%: 92nd percentile (elite)
- Whiff%: 95th percentile (elite)
- Fastball velocity: 90th percentile (elite)
- Fastball spin: 90th percentile (elite)
- Hard-hit rate allowed: 4th percentile — one of the lowest in MLB
- Soft contact allowed: 9th percentile — also among the lowest
- xERA: 76th percentile · BB%: 76th percentile · xwOBA against: 76th percentile
The gap between his 4.20 ERA and 3.47 xERA suggests some bad luck mixed in. The underlying stuff is still elite — 95th-percentile whiff rate, a fastball that averages 97.3 mph at 90th-percentile spin. The Mets would love to have him. He just doesn’t want to be there.
