Jacob deGrom recently invoked his no-trade clause, reaffirming his commitment to leading the Texas Rangers back to postseason glory in 2026.
Officially, Jacob deGrom was on the Texas Rangers when they won the World Series in 2023.
Here in 2026, he still believes in this team. Despite reports of the team potentially being sellers at the trade deadline, they held their ground and made some responsible decisions.
At 38 years old, deGrom is in the midst of a 7-7 season. He has a 3.96 ERA, but he's among the top 20 pitchers in the league with his 135 strikeouts, and his 1.14 WHIP puts him in 22nd.
The Rangers came to deGrom with a potential trade proposal, but the Florida native decided to invoke his no-trade clause.
Ultimately, this is a big deal. Not only does it show that deGrom wants to stay with the Rangers, but it's vital to have a leader step up and say what he did, specifically how much he believes in this team even though they're battling a massive slump.
DeGrom on wanting to stay in Texas
Sure, this team was just swept by the Houston Astros, but the American League West is still up for grabs. It's only early August, so there's still plenty of time before anyone can officially close the book on this division.
Not only that, but the AL is extremely weak, especially compared to some of the teams that are in the National League. No team wants to be riding a five-game losing streak, but soon enough the Rangers will find their way once again, and deGrom has nothing but confidence in this organization.
"I want to be here. I believe in this group," he told MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. "Obviously, the last road trip didn't go well, but I believe we can win."
DeGrom continued, "I signed here to help this team win a World Series... In 2023, the team was able to do that. I want to be a part of that in the future. I signed here to do that. I want to stay here and help this team compete.”
According to Landry, deGrom "declined to go into specifics of what the Rangers came to him with."
The Rangers need deGrom now more than ever
Whatever went on behind closed doors will stay that way, at least for the time being. Remember, deGrom is under contract through next season, and there's a club option which could come into play during 2028 when he'll be 40-years-old.
That's not saying this is a make-or-break season for the Rangers. They still have time, with deGrom specifically, and his numbers prove he's still ready to pitch and compete at a high level.
Coming off three starts in the month of July, deGrom may be 0-2 in his last four appearances, but it's impossible to forget how good he looked in June, a month that saw him go 4-1 in six starts with a 3.00 ERA.
