Jacob deGrom Invokes No-Trade Clause

Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom will remain with the team after declining to waive his no-trade clause, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The veteran has full no-trade protection and would’ve had to sign off on any deal. Rosenthal adds that Texas is also asking shortstop Corey Seager and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi about waiving their no-trade clauses.

Reports emerged today that the Rangers were open to moving anyone on the team. They’re known to have discussed Eovaldi and lefties MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported this afternoon that Texas was leaning against selling. The club’s major trade chips having varying degrees of no-trade protection could be playing a role there. Texas did swing a minor trade with the Blue Jays for reliever Adam Macko.

deGrom has one season remaining on the five-year, $185MM deal he inked with Texas heading into the 2023 campaign. He’s making $38MM this season and will be paid $37MM next year. An acquiring team would be on the hook for a little less than $50MM for the duration of the contract. The money remaining on the deal for a 38-year-old pitcher with an extensive injury history complicates a potential trade. It seems like the Rangers had found a buyer, but deGrom preferred to remain in Texas. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Braves checked in on deGrom.

After making just nine starts in his first two seasons with the club, deGrom has been a workhorse over the past two years. He put together 30 starts of a sub-3.00 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning last season. His strikeout rate has ticked up this season, but he’s taken a step back in terms of run prevention. A clunker over the weekend against the Astros pushed his ERA to 3.96 for the year.

While deGrom hasn’t been on the IL this year, he missed his final start before the All-Star break with a glute injury. He looked uncomfortable at times during his outing in Houston and was ultimately pulled in the fourth inning, though no flare-up of the injury was reported. deGrom had a season-high five walks in the game.

Seager does not have full no-trade protection. He can nix a deal to eight teams, notes Rosenthal. He’ll have full 10-and-5 rights at the end of the season. Seager returned over the weekend after missing a month with lower back inflammation. He went 3-for-10 in the sweep against the Astros. The former World Series MVP has an uncharacteristic 89 wRC+ through 54 games. He’s had three separate stints on the IL.

Texas signed Seager to a 10-year, $325MM deal heading into the 2022 season. He’s making $31MM this year, and his salary will remain at that number for the duration of the deal. The contract has been a boon for the Rangers when Seager’s been healthy, which is the key caveat. The shortstop was limited to 102 games last season. He’ll be right around that mark this year if he avoids another IL stint.

Eovaldi has a full no-trade clause. Like deGrom, he’d have to approve any deal. The remaining money on his contract is the smallest of the trio, but it isn’t insignificant. The veteran righty is in the second season of a three-year, $75MM agreement. He’s due $20MM in 2027.

The 36-year-old Eovaldi has had an odd season. His 1.73 ERA from 2025 was unsustainable, but his mark has jumped to 4.31 this year. Eovaldi’s strikeout and walk numbers are in line with career norms, as are his batted ball metrics. The big outlier is a hefty 20.2% home run to fly ball rate. Eovaldi has a career-high 18.1% pulled air rate, but that number isn’t too far off the league average (16.8%). He’s likely due for better results, as evidenced by an xFIP and SIERA in the low-3.00s.