Jacob deGrom has declined to sign his 2016 contract in a protest over his assigned salary.

DeGrom has no recourse and will earn $607,000 this season. Because deGrom has not achieved enough major league service time to be arbitration-eligible, Mets officials could assign him any salary they chose above the MLB minimum of $507,500.

DeGrom is already 27 years old and was Rookie of the Year in 2014.

"We respect the Mets' right to determine a pre-arbitration player's salary and their effort to be consistent with their players," said agent Brodie Van Wagenen, co-head of CAA Baseball. "But given Jacob's standing as one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball and his 2015 performance, his worth cannot be properly valued by a formula. Like the Mets, he is simply exercising his rights under the [collective bargaining agreement]. This will not affect Jacob's relationship with the Mets. Both parties are focused on preparing for the season and getting the Mets back to the World Series."

Of the Mets' 25 players on the 40-man roster who have yet to reach arbitration eligibility, only deGrom declined to sign his contract.

"That's the business side of the game," deGrom said. "That's why I hired my agents. I feel like I have some of the best in the business. It was a business decision that we decided to make. We have great respect for the Mets and the system that they have, and I feel like I have a great relationship with them.

"As I've said before, I love playing here. And I want to be in this uniform for a long time. It was just a decision based on the business side of the game."