The richest owner of the major leagues, did he know it would turn out like this?
Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets, said at spring training camp in March of last year, “I’m going to play this season as it is. And I’ll think about it. Jake just has to do his job. When the time is right, we’ll work out the extension issue.”메이저놀이터
He answered the question of whether he could sign a pre-season or mid-season extension with Jacob deGrom, who could exercise an opt-out after the season, meaning he would qualify as a free agent. It was a time when deGrom was preparing for the season normally, such as recovering from an arm injury suffered in the previous season and conducting bullpen pitching.
DeGrom, who heard of Cohen’s remarks, declared to local media that he would unconditionally opt out after this season. “There’s no change in my position,” he said when he returned to the injured list ahead of the season with a stress reaction in his right shoulder and during a visit to Citi Field in July, ahead of his return.
Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets, is said to be very concerned about deGrom’s injury rehabilitation. AP Yonhap News
Even before returning from injury last year, deGrom was said to have made it public that he wanted to leave the Mets. AP Yonhap News
He decided to leave the Mets. The real deGrom is said to have publicly announced his breakup with the Mets after his return last year, telling his opponents, “What do you think of me playing in Atlanta?”
When deGrom became a free agent last winter, the Mets didn’t actively negotiate. DeGrom’s departure from the Mets was a foregone conclusion, as reports surfaced that he would be contacting another big free agent, Justin Verlander. Interestingly, deGrom accepted the Texas offer even before hearing the Mets’ final offer.
At the time, ESPN said, “DeGrom’s refusal to contact the Mets further revealed what Mets officials were concerned about.” DeGrom would have wanted to leave New York,” he said. “In the end, the Mets’ final offer of three years and $115 million was far below the terms of Texas, which offered a no-trade option and a 2028 option.”
It is known that Cohen was very concerned about the recurrence of his injury in the process of being closely watched on de Grom’s rehabilitation process during last year’s spring training.
In the wealth ranking of major league owners announced by Forbes, an economic magazine, in December 2021, Cohen ranked first with $15.9 billion (approximately 20.6318 trillion won). Cohen, who established ‘Point 72 Asset Management’ as a hedge fund manager, took over 8% of the Mets’ stake in a large amount in September 2020 at a cost of $2.4 billion, expanding it to 97.2% and making it the largest shareholder in name and reality.
DeGrom, who signed a five-year, $185 million (approximately 240.1 billion won) contract with Texas, has been causing trouble since the first year of the transfer, as Cohen ‘gutted’. Eventually, it was diagnosed that he needed elbow surgery and the season was out. He won’t be able to get on the actual mound until next summer. A healthy deGrom is the best starting pitcher in existence. It is unlikely that Cohen would have turned a blind eye to such a pitcher without good reason.
The possibility that deGrom will remain as the worst free agent signing in Texas club history cannot be ruled out.