Call to the pen
Fansided

Jon Gray finally escapes Rockies in deal with Texas Rangers

By David Hill

Oct 1, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Rockies wanted to keep Jon Gray. They had offered him an extension shortly before the season came to an end and made another attempt early in the offseason. While neither attempt was successful, the Rockies were hopeful that Gray would return to the only franchise he had known.

Those hopes came to a crashing end late Sunday night. The Texas Rangers have rescued Gray from the Rockies, signing him to a four year contract.

Texas Rangers continue overhauling roster with Jon Gray signing

The Rangers headed into the offseason with the intent of speeding up their rebuilding process. General manager Chris Young stated that the franchise had money to spend and was set to be active. They had proven to be true to their word, inking Marcus Semien to a seven year contract to add an impact bat to their lineup.

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Gray is a notable addition to a Rangers pitching staff that was in desperate need of help. While the rotation had some potential, Dane Dunning was the only member of the anticipated 2022 starters that had an ERA below 5.00. As a whole, the Rangers ranked 13th in the American League with a 4.79 ERA and 14th with 1239 strikeouts.

Although he will not be enough to change the Rangers’ fortunes on his own, he is a step in the right direction. Gray has posted a 4.59 ERA and a 1.338 ERA in his 829.1 career innings, striking out 849 batters with 280 walks. Those numbers are all the more impressive when one considers that he has spent his career in Colorado, with half of his games coming at Coors Field.

There is also the possibility that Gray can be even better. He has had flashes where he appeared to be an ace caliber pitcher, his numbers perfectly solid for a top of the rotation arm outside of Colorado. While he may need to adjust his arsenal now that he is out of Colorado, Gray should be a solid arm for the Rangers to continue to build around.

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Jon Gray has finally managed to escape the Colorado Rockies. He has signed a four year deal with the Texas Rangers, becoming their de facto ace.

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