2022 NL Cy Young Award odds: Max Scherzer new favorite with Jacob deGrom injury; Mets futures rise across the board

Last month, Mets ace Jacob deGrom said he would opt-out of his five-year, $137.5 million contract after this season (must be nice). Perhaps that has changed in the wake of deGrom suffering a stress reaction in his right scapula that will keep him out until at least the latter part of May (actually he still plans to opt-out). DeGrom had been the +300 favorite at Caesars Sportsbook to win a third career NL Cy Young Award but is now a +2000 longer shot. His new teammate, three-time winner Max Scherzer, is now the +500 favorite. All Mets futures odds changed with the deGrom injury as well.

It's hard to argue against deGrom as the best pitcher in baseball when healthy. The 33-year-old right-hander was off to a historic start last season with an absurd 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 146 strikeouts and just 11 walks across 92 innings before suffering a season-ending partial UCL tear. Because of this new injury, he will be shut down from throwing for up to four weeks before being re-evaluated.

DeGrom was to start Opening Day Thursday at Washington but it's not clear who will get the ball now. It probably would be Scherzer, who was so great for the Nationals from 2015 until being traded during last season to the Dodgers. However, he's dealing with a bit of a hamstring issue and will throw a bullpen session Tuesday. Seems doubtful they would let Scherzer turn around and start two days later.

The 37-year-old right-hander, now the highest-paid player in MLB history at around $43 million per season (more than the entire A's roster), was third in the 2021 Cy Young voting. Should Scherzer win a fourth Cy Young, he'd join Steve Carlton, Greg Maddux (four each), Randy Johnson (five) and Roger Clemens (seven) as the only pitchers with that many.

Tylor Megill will replace deGrom in the rotation and that's obviously a massive downgrade. At Caesars with the deGrom injury, New York went from +140 to +225 to win the NL East (second behind Atlanta, which is +120), +500 to +700 for the pennant and +1100 to +1400 to win the World Series. The Mets' win total is now 87.5 and they are -220 to make the playoffs (remember, an additional wild-card team) and +180 to miss. 

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