Following a season where the Los Angeles Angels went just 72-90, it’s going to be interesting to see what they do next. The idea of trading for Jacob deGrom was brought up, and it’s an interesting idea that is absolutely worth exploring.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report brought up the idea of this trade in a recent article: “Jacob deGrom has a full no-trade clause and has made no indications that he wants to leave Texas…And though they flirted with contending deep into the summer, even doing a bit of buying at the trade deadline while just two games below .500, it was the pitching staff that really let them down.”
While Miller notes that these trades aren’t the most realistic because of the no-trade clause, the main question is whether the fit would make sense either.
In regard to the fit, it’s not just whether deGrom would help the Angels next year. Below, we’ll further break that down.
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Texas Rangers Trading Jacob deGrom to the Los Angeles Angels
At deGrom’s peak, he was the best pitcher in baseball. Whenever deGrom was healthy with the New York Mets, he was absolutely lights out.
Since leaving New York and moving into his mid-30s, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing.
With the Texas Rangers, deGrom only pitched in nine games in his first two years. This past season, though, deGrom looked fantastic. In 30 games, deGrom had 2.9 WAR, a 12-8 record, and a 2.97 ERA.
Beyond that, deGrom had some unreal numbers on Baseball Savant. In terms of Pitching Run Value, deGrom was in the 98th percentile, Fastball Run Value was in the 97th, Breaking Run Value was in the 98th, and it was just his Offspeed Run Value that was down at 35.
It was no surprise that deGrom made the All-Star Game last year, and he was also 8th in AL Cy Young Voting.
Getting this kind of talent is going to be tough to acquire, regardless of age and injury history.
Does Jacob deGrom Fit with the Los Angeles Angels?
There are two main questions to ask when considering the fit with the Angels. Does deGrom make this team better for 2025? The answer to that should be yes, as Miller briefly touches on.
Would trading for deGrom put the Angels over the top and get them back into the playoff picture in the next few years? That’s most likely a no.
For additional context, here’s the mock trade that’s proposed.
“Texas Rangers send RHP Jacob deGrom to Los Angeles Angels for RHP Ryan Johnson.”
It’s not as if this is a wild trade, but it seems likely that a contender would be willing to send over a better offer than that.
If all of the contenders are scared away from Jacob deGrom and the Angels are in a position to buy at the deadline next year, this isn’t super unrealistic. However, it seems more likely that a better team will be able to make a stronger offer.
Jacob deGrom Contract
The contract that deGrom is on right now is a massive one for $185 million over five years. That leaves deGrom to be a free agent in 2029 when he’s 41 years old.