The Boston Red Sox may have gotten a last-minute window into a potential Jacob deGrom trade, but could not have convinced the former Cy Young winner to waive his no-trade clause.
The Texas Rangers made a late decision following Sunday’s loss to the Houston Astros, which was seen as a make-or-break game for their season hopes. The Rangers went into Monday’s trade deadline as sellers, with several players expected to hit the trade block.
That list could have included deGrom, but a new report indicated that he decided to stay with the team.
Red Sox Pass on Jacob deGrom
Going into Monday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Rangers could have difficulty trading deGrom, with the Braves as one of the only potential destinations.
“Unlike [shortstop Corey] Seager, deGrom has a full no-trade clause, but it’s not out of the question he would waive it to join a contender closer to his home in Florida — the Atlanta Braves perhaps,” Rosenthal noted. “Eovaldi, too, enjoys full no-trade protection. Both pitchers, though, also have big money left on their deals.”
SI.com reporter Patrick McAvoy added on Monday that deGrom could be a target for the Red Sox as well.
“Boston is relying heavily on young guys, including Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett, who are in uncharted waters innings-wise at this point in their professional careers,” McAvoy wrote. “Both have been amazing, but have thrown a lot and there’s still a lot of time left in the season. So, going out and getting a veteran starter to add to the mix wouldn’t be the worst thing. If so, the club the Red Sox should have their eyes on right now is the Texas Rangers and specifically Jacob deGrom.”
The answer quickly became clear, with Rosenthal reporting later on Monday that deGrom blocked any potential trade that would take him away from Texas.
“The Texas Rangers approached right-hander Jacob deGrom about waiving his no-trade clause, but the pitcher told the team he wanted to remain with the club, people briefed on the conversations have told The Athletic,” Rosenthal reported. “The Rangers awarded deGrom full no-trade protection when they signed him to a five-year, $185 million free-agent contract in Dec. 2022. He is under contract through 2027.”
Red Sox Make Another Big Move
While no team was able to pry deGrom away from the Rangers, the Red Sox did make a splash with another move. The team landed All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, sending three of their top prospects to land him.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the team was looking to make a big, impactful move without jeopardizing the locker room.
“We didn’t want to go through a deadline where we kind of just rearranged the chairs, but didn’t actually get better and introduce the possibility of messing with the culture and the environment,” Breslow said, via ESPN. “We were aggressive in bringing players in, and we were positioning ourselves to reach our objective, which is to try and win a World Series.”
Boston Red Sox Get Final Answer on Jacob deGrom Trade Rumors