Yankees Extend Severino, while Mets Remain Deadlocked with deGrom

No week better exemplifies the difference between the Mets and Yankees are than what has transpired over the past few days.

Last Friday, as the Yankees reported to Spring Training, the Bombers inked Luis Severino to a long term extension, four years at $40 million, clearing away the arbitration eligible years left on his contract, and making both sides happy.

It's a great deal for both sides. The Yankees get to keep their ace at a terrific price tag, while the young Severino doesn't have to worry about getting into a contract squabble over the remaining years of arbitration.

Severino will make $6 million (with bonus included) this season, and $10 million in 2020, $10.25 million in 2021, and $11 million by 2022. There is also a club option for $15 million in 2023 -- a nice security should there be a lengthy MLB holdout in the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, over in Queens, things are not so rosy for the Mets and their ace pitcher Jacob deGrom. The Mets and deGrom settled on a $17 million arbitration number for this season, but with only one year of arbitration left, and coming off a Cy Young campaign in 2018, deGrom wants a long term deal. Unlike the Yankees, the Mets don't seem so willing to oblige.

deGrom's contract standoff has taken a life of its own. Last year, when current Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was deGrom's personal agent, he lobbied the Mets to sign deGrom to a long term deal or trade him. Now that Van Wagenen is working for the Wilpon's, he is singing a much different tune.

Meanwhile deGrom and his new representation have asked the Mets to meet an Opening Day deadline for a contract, or negotiations will cease until the end of the season. This is normal procedure during standoffs such as this. Players don't like being bogged down by contract talk during the season, they rather go out there and play.

Yet, when pressed by the media if he would be willing to limit his innings depending on his contract, deGrom acknowledged it was something he would have to talk to his agent about -- not exactly a comment Mets fans want to here -- some of whom have blasted deGrom for being greedy. But is he really?

Consider the state of baseball right now. There are dozens of players, some of them All Stars in their prime that still remain unsigned. It has been a nightmare offseason for the MLBA and free agents seeking long term contracts as teams are unwilling to spend, even though they are making hand over fist in revenue. The players have called foul, and it is setting up for a potential clash before the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) runs out in 2021.

So let me as this question again. Is deGrom really being greedy? Or, is he using this as a negotiation ploy, knowing full well what is happening to other players on the market?

 deGrom is coming off the best year of his career, but it is not like he just came out of nowhere to have a Cy Young campaign in 2018. deGrom has been the Mets best and most reliable starting pitcher for five years running. He has been somewhat ignored until last season, because he didn't blast the radar gun with triple digits the way Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard have done, but if you ask any Mets fan who has been the steadiest pitcher in the Mets rotation over the last half dozen years, they would say: 'Jacob deGrom.'

So yes, deGrom is making a pretty penny of $17 million this year, and with another year of arbitration coming to him that could pay him upwards of $25 million -- he isn't dirt poor, but he doesn't exactly have the collateral of knowing where he will be beyond that.

The guy has put his body on the line for the Mets for a long time, and deserves to have a long term deal.

Unlike the Yankees, who decided to take care of their ace pitcher before things got hairy, the Mets have let this thing get out of control.

Last week I was listening to Joel Sherman on MLB Network explain what kind of deal the Mets could give deGrom, a five-year deal right now that would take him through his age 35 season. That would make perfect sense -- and yes, the Mets would have to play $20-$30 million a year upfront to do it -- something that would make the Wilpon's wince. Think about it, if the Mets pay deGrom on a long term deal now, they will do so knowing they are paying him during his prime, rather than waiting until 2020 or 2021 to pay a 33-year old pitcher what he once was.

It's time to end the silliness and get a deal done. If the Yankees can lock up their guy, the Mets can lock up their own.