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Add this one to the long list of blockbuster baseball trades that nearly happened.
Before this year’s trade deadline, Jacob deGrom nearly became a Brave.
Instead, the ex-Met declined to waive his no-trade clause, citing his desire to remain in Texas.
The Post’s Jon Heyman reported the potential deal at the time, but the return Atlanta discussed is only now coming to light.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Citi Field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostMLB.com’s Mark Feinsand revealed Thursday that Spencer Strider was discussed as part of a possible “contract swap” for deGrom.
The deal would have amounted to a stunning exchange of two of baseball’s most accomplished right-handers who also bring plenty of baggage.
DeGrom, who is owed $37 million in 2027 and has a $20 million club option for 2028, has been solid for the Rangers this season, posting a 3.80 ERA across 149 ⅓ innings.
But he turned 38 in June, and injuries have limited him throughout his career, although deGrom has remained relatively healthy over the past two seasons, making at least 25 starts in consecutive years for the first time since he won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018-19.
Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom pitches in the first inning as the New York Mets play the Texas Rangers on Friday, September 12, 2025, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY PostStrider, meanwhile, would have represented a much younger arm for Texas, although the hard-throwing right-hander has dealt with significant injuries of his own in recent years.
The 27-year-old has made just 33 big league starts since the beginning of the 2024 season thanks to a string of injuries, including elbow surgery in 2024, a hamstring strain last year and oblique and elbow issues this season.
Strider, who struggled on the mound this season with a 5.31 ERA across eight outings, is owed $22 million over the next two seasons with a club option for 2029.
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