B/R gives Padres third-best odds at landing Jacob deGrom

In a situation that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago, there is a chance that the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom could part ways if he opts out of the remainder of his contract. Pitchers with his level of pedigree and success are almost never on the open market, and the San Diego Padres should take note of that.

Over the last five seasons, deGrom has put up a sparkling 2.05 ERA while striking out over 12 batters per nine innings. How many other starters can sit at well over 100 miles per hour regularly while featuring a slider in the mid-90s? That’s a game-changer, plain and simple.

With Sean Manaea and Mike Clevinger both players who could leave San Diego in the offseason, the Padres may decide to spend money once again if it can help them maintain their status as a force to be reckoned with in the NL West. Getting deGrom may be improbable, but not impossible.

Bleacher Report suggested that the Padres have the third-best odds at signing deGrom this offseason, with only the star-laden Dodgers and his old team in the Mets having a better shot at landing him. Imagine deGrom and his sizzling fastball putting on Padres gold for the first time.

Will Jacob deGrom sign with the San Diego Padres?

The positives that come with a deGrom signing are obvious. Still a top-end pitcher after all these years, deGrom would be an ace with postseason experience that could slide right in and make San Diego even more lethal as a staff. He, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove would be one heck of a playoff rotation.

There is no starting pitcher who can come close to possessing the kind of stuff deGrom has. Even if the velocity starts to wane a bit as he gets older, the fact that he has such unhittable offspeed pitches may give the Padres confidence that he can age gracefully.

However, the injury concerns might be so worrying that San Diego is totally justified in letting him go. deGrom has made just 26 starts in the last two seasons, and he will turn 35 in the middle of next year. Does that sound like someone the Padres are going to splash nine figures for?

With the Mets likely to be a Wild Card and playoff nuisance for the next few years and the Dodgers trying to buy their way back to the World Series, San Diego would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t at least look at signing him. If he hits, the Padres will be even stronger contenders.

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