Jacob deGrom not ruling out self-imposed innings limit without contract extension

Jacob deGrom is still seeking a long-term contract extension from the New York Mets heading into the season, and he is not ruling out taking steps to protect his future if he does not get it.

In one of the least surprising announcements of the offseason, Mets manager Mickey Callaway announced on Thursday that deGrom will be the team’s Opening Day starter. The 30-year-old later spoke with reporters and was asked if he would consider self-imposing an innings cap in 2019 without a long-term agreement. He did not rule it out.

If a contract extension is not completed, Jacob deGrom says he'd have to talk to his agents regarding any self-imposed restrictions on his usage.

"I put a lot on them," deGrom said of his reps at CAA. "When I get here, I'm getting ready to pitch."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 14, 2019

deGrom has thrown more than 200 innings in each of the past two seasons, and he posted an ERA of 2.62 over that span. He went 10-9 with an incredible 1.70 ERA and took home the NL Cy Young Award. Obviously, the Mets need him to be available as much as possible if they hope to contend.

We probably wouldn’t know until late in the season if deGrom and his agents have decided to impose an innings cap, but he already made it clear last year how unhappy he is with his contract situation. deGrom is set to earn $17 million in 2019 after he landed a record arbitration raise, but he feels he has earned the right to sign a long-term deal. It’s hard to argue against that given his recent dominance.