A player to sign if Jacob deGrom leaves in free agency

New York Mets fans want Jacob deGrom back. How could you not? He has been one of the franchise’s greatest starting pitchers. Mets rumors about the future of the club’s ace haven’t fully picked up with the postseason ongoing. However, in only a few weeks, we should have a better idea of how many teams are serious contenders to steal him away.

FanSided’s Robert Murray discussed deGrom in his recent Inside the Clubhouse column. Listed as potential deGrom suitors are the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers. There’s no real surprise there.

Maybe far more intriguing is the other top-tier free agent he connects as a possibility for the Mets. A borough away in the same city, it’s Aaron Judge who we could see make an appearance in some offseason Mets rumors.

Early Mets rumors could have them pivoting to Aaron Judge if Jacob deGrom leaves

It’s not quite replacing Freddie Freeman with Matt Olson. Not even close. deGrom and Judge come with a whole lot more in terms of storyline. If either was to go from one New York baseball team to the other, expect the phone lines at WFAN to never clear out.

As Murray speculates, Judge is a possibility to return to the New York Yankees or go with his hometown San Francisco Giants. The only other team mentioned are the Mets with the caveat that he’d be a possibility only if deGrom signs elsewhere.

Considering the Mets do have Max Scherzer and saw their season come to a close after being one-hit by the San Diego Padres, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to see Steve Cohen demand Billy Eppler fix the offense in a major way.

The Mets will have an opening in the outfield if Brandon Nimmo departs as well. A free agent himself, the Mets could always move Starling Marte to center field or sign Judge for the position. It’s not likely but we said the same thing about Scherzer to Flushing around this time last year, too.

The Cohen Factor has everyone convinced anything is possibility. Particularly in free agency where money wins more often than not, could the strategy completely change this offseason? Adding a slugger like Judge to the lineup makes it infinitely better. In fact, even if they did bring back Nimmo, there’s a DH spot several of the starters could rotate through on a daily basis. It could help keep Judge, Marte, and others a little fresher.

I’m convinced. But let’s not give up on re-signing deGrom yet either. It’s good to know there are options. Just don’t get caught napping with nothing.