Mets need to not trade Jacob deGrom

The fact that this even needs to be addressed or said is mildly absurd. The Mets, if anything, need to lock Jacob deGrom up long-term, and not listen to any team’s interest in the star pitcher.

The talk recently has been about the Houston Astros’ major interest in deGrom. Not that I think the Mets would seriously consider this, but honestly with this organization and the fact that Rafael Montero is still a thing, who even knows anymore.

Minus for a couple of rough starts, deGrom has been the savior for the starting rotation this season. He’s currently 7-3 and holds a 3.71 ERA. If you look at just his last three starts, he’s 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA.

Why’s it important to note his last three starts? Well, in addition to him looking entirely dominant on the mound, in the midst of all this, his fellow starters Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey were both placed on the disabled list — Wheeler with biceps tendonitis and Harvey with a stress injury to the scapula bone.

This, as we know is on top of Noah Syndergaard‘s torn lat, and not knowing when he’ll return, all of Harvey’s antics from earlier this season, and both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo not being part of the roster until early June due to their injuries.

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Now, why is this all important to note and talk about again? Because deGrom has been the one who has been there — he’s been healthy (this season) only missing one start back in April due to neck soreness, and we know he won’t be partaking in any off-the-field shenanigans that would be a cause for concern.

DeGrom has been there. He’s been contributing. And honestly, he’s been saving this team. He’s the only pitcher who has pitched a full-game this season, and one of few pitchers who have successfully survived seven-innings.

DeGrom needs to go nowhere. In fact, the Mets need to lock him up. Back in December, I wrote about how the Mets had not talked with their starters yet about contract extensions, and how, as long as deGrom stayed healthy and dominant, he needed to be locked up by the team. Well, six months later, and this still rings true.

Yes, his age is something the Mets will have to consider, but after this season, assuming deGrom’s performance continues as it is, he’s proven himself. He’s shown that he will not only contribute to this team, but put this team (especially the rest of the rotation) on his shoulders and carry them. Mets fans don’t have to worry once every six days, and that’s because we know deGrom is on the mound.

Yes, he had a couple of poor starts. He acknowledged them, he did not make excuses for them, and he overcame them. In fact, he was so proactive about getting out of this mini slump that when he heard John Smoltz talking about his side session regimen, deGrom texted him about it. He then started throwing two light bullpens in between starts, and felt as though it had helped.

Next: Where should the Mets go from here?

DeGrom is all an all-star player and an all-star guy. If the Mets actually consider letting him go this season, that’ll be a huge mistake that they honestly can’t afford to make — both for their team’s sake, and for the fanbase’s sake.

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