Mets Prioritizing Contract Extension for Jacob deGrom Might Be the Smartest Thing They've Ever Done

Don't be deceived by that headline, folks, because we are actually about to give credit to the New York Mets' front office.

When you think about the five-year, $118 million contract that Zack Wheeler signed with the Phillies paired Stephen Strasburg's mammoth seven-year, $245 deal thus far in free agency, the Mets extending Jacob deGrom before he hit the market is shaping up to be one of the smartest decisions they've made in a LONG time.

Heck, it might even be the most intelligent transaction that they've ever pulled off.

The fact that Wheeler's and deGrom's contract (five years, $137.5 million) are even in the same vicinity is nothing short of staggering, and proves that the Mets absolutely got away with robbery.

Just imagine how much more money deGrom, who just won back-to-back Cy Young awards, would have commanded after seeing these deals go down. There's always the possibility he could've priced himself out of New York, but we all know Mets fans would've stormed the front office if deGrom wasn't made the face of the franchise.

That's to say nothing of Gerrit Cole's imminent record-breaking contract. We all know that Cole and deGrom are often mentioned in the same breath as the best hurlers in the game.

How many pundits across the MLB asserted that it made no sense for the Mets to pull the trigger a year before he hits the open market? As the Winter Meetings continue to unfold, more and more eggs are cracking on their faces.

We often bash the Metsies for their laughable ineptitude, but Brodie Van Wagenen and Co. deserve significant recognition for prioritizing a deGrom contract extension as early as they did.