The New York Mets are in the midst of a horrid stretch that has dropped them to 27-32, closer to the last-place Miami Marlins than first place in the National League East.
All the same, that doesn't mean the Mets are going to trade ace Jacob deGrom. In fact, the Mets don't seem likely to even shop deGrom, as they believe they can compete again before he hits free agency after the 2020 season. Take it away, Jon Morosi of MLB Network:
Jacob deGrom isn’t likely to be available on midseason trade market, even though #Mets are tied for @MLB’s worst record since May 1. deGrom won’t be a free agent until after ‘20; #Mets believe they can make playoffs again in that window. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 7, 2018
Were the Mets to make deGrom available, he would undoubtedly draw a lot of interest from contenders. Through his first 12 starts this season, he's posted a 1.49 ERA and a 4.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. With two years of control remaining, the Mets would be positioned to ask for and receive the moon (and perhaps a player or two to be named later) in return.
Nonetheless, you can understand why the Mets want to hang on to deGrom. For starters, he's their best player. Beyond that, trading deGrom almost necessitates a full-fledged rebuild. As tempting as that might be given the Mets' current predicament, keep in mind the Mets looked like a reasonable contender for a wild-card spot before the injuries started to mount.
That isn't to excuse away the Mets' poor play, and feel free to blame management (and/or ownership) for other issues with the club. But retaining deGrom for the time being is a defensible decision, if one that removes some potential excitement from the trade rumor season.
