Jacob deGrom Thanks Mets Fans With Classy Gesture

It seems like the New York Mets have signed every big free agent this winter, but one player they failed to ink was one of their own: star pitcher Jacob deGrom.

The two-time Cy Young winner signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers instead, switching teams for the first time in his career. He made sure to thank Mets fans with a classy move on Thursday, however, taking out a full-page ad in the New York Post.

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Leaving for Texas may be bittersweet for deGrom, who spent the last 12 years with New York. The Mets drafted him out of college back in 2010, taking a chance on him in the ninth round.

It proved to be one of the best draft picks they ever made, as deGrom emerged as a fully-formed ace four years later in 2014. The big right-hander won NL Rookie of the Year honors that season, kicking off an incredible nine-year run with New York that saw him win a pair of Cy Young awards, make four All-Star teams and pitch in a World Series.

While deGrom wasn't able to help the Mets win a championship during his time with the team, he still leaves with plenty of great memories and career highlights. He'll try to replicate that success with the Rangers over the next few years, although nothing will ever compare to the support and admiration he received from New Yorkers over the past decade.