PORT ST. LUCIE — After an All-Star season and a 2014 Rookie of the Year award, Jacob deGrom made a statement Friday morning that he deserves to be paid more. The right-hander declined to sign the renewal of his yearly contract as a protest to the system and the Mets’ formula for contracts.
Players like deGrom in their first three years of service time in the majors are given standard contracts which base their pay on service time, incentives like an All-Star Game appearance. Each team also has a performance evaluation that factors into the contract as well, which deGrom's representatives seem to have an issue with.