NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 10: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets has a laugh before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on July 10, 2021 in New York City. The Pirates defeated the Mets 6-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Braves’ decision to explore a blockbuster involving Spencer Strider and former New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has added another layer to an already intriguing offseason story.
The proposed swap would have paired two high-profile right-handers with significant contracts and complicated injury histories.
“The Braves discussed sending Strider to Texas in a contract swap trade for Jacob deGrom before the Trade Deadline, and although deGrom blocked the deal with his no-trade clause, it’s clear that Atlanta is open to moving its former ace,” Mark Feinsand reported for MLB.com.
The update on the Braves’ willingness to part with Strider to acquire deGrom came right before a familiar voice from deGrom’s Mets past weighed in on his legacy.
New York Mets Legend Offers Response On Jacob deGrom Career As Atlanta Braves Express Trade Interest
David Wright, the longtime Mets captain and one of the most beloved players in franchise history, offered an emphatic endorsement of his former teammate while discussing what deGrom meant to New York.
“If there was a game on the line and I could pick any teammate for a Game 7, give me Jacob deGrom every day,” Wright said during an appearance on MLB Network a few hours after Feinsand’s report was published. “The stuff that he was doing with the Mets was not just on a generational level, it was on a historical level.”
Wright’s comments carry particular weight because he shared the Mets clubhouse with deGrom during the pitcher’s rise from relatively unknown prospect to one of baseball’s most dominant starters.
In his peak years, deGrom won consecutive NL Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019, led the league in strikeouts in 2019 and again in 2020, and became a four-time All-Star during his Mets tenure.
That history helps explain why Wright placed deGrom above any other teammate when considering a winner-take-all game. And with deGrom again enjoying a productive season, now with the Texas Rangers, it makes sense that the Braves have been interested in acquiring him.
Atlanta Braves Nearly Landed New York Mets Former Ace At Trade Deadline
The proposed Atlanta-Texas deal was also unusual because it would have involved substantial financial commitments on both sides.
“deGrom is earning the remainder of his $38MM salary in 2026, $37MM in 2027, and the Rangers hold a club option on his services for at least $20MM (the number jumps to $30MM if deGrom is a top-five finisher in Cy Young voting in 2026 or 2027, or totals 625 innings pitched over the course of the 2023-27 seasons),” Mark Polishuk noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “Strider is owed the remainder of his $20MM salary for 2026, $22MM in each of the 2027-28 seasons, and Atlanta holds a $22MM club option for 2029 that contains a $5MM buyout.”
deGrom ultimately used his no-trade clause to prevent the deal, leaving Strider in Atlanta and the veteran ace in Texas.
For Mets fans, however, the trade revelation offered another reminder of just how highly deGrom was regarded inside the organization.
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