Jacob deGrom was one of the most coveted arms in this year's free agency. After all, he's been one of the best pitchers in the entire MLB over the past nine seasons for the New York Mets. Thus, the Texas Rangers pulled out all the stops to acquire his services, signing deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract two weeks ago.

However, deGrom hasn't been the healthiest over the past two seasons, so it wasn't as if that blockbuster signing didn't come without any risks.

But if the rumblings are to believed, Jacob deGrom is just fine. In fact, he might be more than fine. Jon Heyman of the New York Post “heard” that deGrom's “medicals actually looked very good”.

That is not something to brush aside, given deGrom's ability to carry his teams to victories when he's 100 percent healthy. In 2021, deGrom was on pace to have a historically elite season, pitching to the tune of a 1.08 ERA in 92.0 innings across 15 starts before missing the last three and a half months of the season with elbow inflammation.

Jacob deGrom eventually returned from a 13-month hiatus on August, when he pitched five innings in a 5-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. He ended up making 11 starts for 64.1 innings in 2022, suffering a slight drop-off in the run prevention department. Nonetheless, his strikeout rate remains elite, which bodes well for his future prospects.

He and the Mets fell short of their goals after they lost to the San Diego Padres in the 2022 NL Wild Card round. But deGrom wasn't at fault, as he won his only start against the Padres.

The Rangers only won 68 games last season, so on the field, it appears as if Jacob deGrom is making a sacrifice in terms of contending. Texas will have to add other pieces if they were to break through in the crowded AL playoff picture.