Jacob deGrom is two-stepping to Texas.
In a surprising early blow to the Mets’ offseason plans, the Rangers swooped in and signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal on Friday night, taking the Amazin’s top target to the AL West.
The whopping contract blew away the Mets’ initial offer, which according to sources was for three years and around $120 million.
Given the sizable discrepancy, the Mets never got to a final offer with deGrom, according to The Post’s Mike Puma.
The Mets had hoped to keep the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner in Queens a year after landing Max Scherzer with a record-setting, three-year, $130 million contract.
Instead, they’re left with a giant hole in an already depleted rotation and will set their sights on Justin Verlander, as well as Carlos Rodon, as the Winter Meetings begin on Sunday in San Diego.
DeGrom’s departure doesn’t come as a complete surprise.
Asked about his future after the Mets’ season-ending loss to the Padres in the wild-card playoff round, deGrom said, “I have no clue.”
The move by the Rangers comes with plenty of risk.
The 34-year-old deGrom has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball when healthy over the past five seasons, but was limited to just 26 regular-season starts in the last two years due to injuries. He hasn’t pitched more than 92 innings since 2019.
Still, there was little doubt after the season that deGrom would opt out of the final year of his deal, which was worth $30.5 million.
This offseason, deGrom, who had a 1,94 ERA from 2018-21, joined Verlander at the top of the starting pitcher free-agent market, and it paid off.
DeGrom’s $37 million annual salary is second only to Scherzer’s $40.3 million.
The Mets figure to turn their focus to Verlander, who came back from Tommy John surgery and won the AL Cy Young Award with the Astros this past season, but who will 40 in February, or the lefty Rodon, who will turn 30 this month and just had the best season of his career with the Giants.
It was thought deGrom’s preference was to remain with the Mets, the team that drafted him in 2010 and with whom he won consecutive NL Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 — if the money they proposed was similar to other offers.
But the Rangers were willing to go to five years, along with a sixth-year option, for a pitcher with a litany of health concerns.
DeGrom battled back and arm issues in 2020 and an elbow injury in 2021.
He didn’t take the mound for the Mets until Aug. 2 this past season after he suffered a stress reaction in his right scapula in spring training. He struggled down the stretch after returning to the rotation.
The Mets and owner Steve Cohen might not simply pivot to the other available aces on the market.
They can look at re-signing Chris Bassitt or perhaps signing Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga. Jameson Taillon, who also is a free agent after playing two seasons with the Yankees, is another option.
And if they don’t sign Verlander, they could also look to bring back Brandon Nimmo in the outfield, since he was considered likely too expensive to go along with deGrom.
Their rotation now includes Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Tyler Megill.
Bassitt and Taijuan Walker, who combined for 59 starts for the Mets in 2022, remain free agents.
And the bullpen has plenty of holes, even after closer Edwin Diaz signed a five-year, $102 million deal earlier this offseason, a record-high for a reliever.
The Rangers’ latest move comes after they broke the bank last offseason by signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for the middle of their infield, as well as Jon Gray for their rotation, only to finish 68-94, ahead of only the Athletics in the AL West.
“Over a number of seasons, Jacob has been a standout Major League pitcher, and he gives us a dominant performer at the top of our rotation,’’ Texas general manager Chris Young said in a statement. “One of our primary goals this offseason is to strengthen our starting pitching and we are adding one of the best.”
After firing manager Chris Woodward during the season, the Rangers hired Bruce Bochy for 2023.