The New York Mets are going to have to fend off several suitors if they hope to re-sign Jacob deGrom. The top pitcher in MLB free agency is being linked to a few destinations outside of the Big Apple.

The Atlanta Braves have long been viewed as a candidate to potentially sign deGrom in free agency. The latest report indicates that deGrom is also considering joining the Texas Rangers.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, deGrom let the Rangers know that he is interested in playing for Texas. Heyman notes that deGrom has likely delivered the same message to the Mets and other teams.

The Rangers made big splashes in free agency last year to improve their offense. Texas gave infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien a combined $500 million in contracts.

Texas went 68-94 in the 2022 season. The Rangers missed the postseason by a good margin, but it marked an eight-win improvement from 2021 and their best record since 2019. Texas finished fifth among American League teams in runs scored. The AL's 12th-best ERA ultimately kept the Rangers from competing for a wild-card berth.

Unlike Texas, Atlanta doesn't have a great need for pitching. The Braves won the NL East with the league's second-best ERA. Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Kyle Wright all have spots in the rotation for the 2023 season. Still, Atlanta might add deGrom to make a strong rotation even better.

"You don't rule anything out," Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos told SNY when asked if the team would consider adding a high-end starter. "I think it's just you always -- you don't go into the offseason saying you have to address X, because you may not find the right deal, whether that's trade or signing, So it's just, do you make your club better?

"I've said this before, but the year that we got Josh Donaldson, we weren't looking for a third baseman. We just wanted a middle-of-the-order bat and [Johan] Camargo had had a very good year for us. [But] that made the most sense. That was the best deal for us."

If the Braves sign deGrom, it could have serious consequences for the division. New York tied Atlanta with a 101-61 record, but the tiebreaker gave the Braves their fifth straight NL East title.

Mets owner Steve Cohen appears willing to spend more than any other team, potentially giving the team a payroll well north of $300 million. That doesn't mean New York will give deGrom a blank check.

If the Rangers or Braves offer deGrom a four-year contract with an average year salary close to $40 million, the Mets might let the two-time Cy Young winner walk.

The Mets locked up closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract before he could field offers from other teams. Re-signing Brandon Nimmo is a reportedly a priority for the Mets, as well.

In 11 starts last season, deGrom had a 3.08 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Jacob deGrom New York Mets
Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 13, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images