Rangers close to signing Jon Gray to four-year deal, per report

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the free-agent spending.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Rangers have signed pitcher Jon Gray to a four-year contract worth $56 million.

Gray, 30, was the Rockies’ first-round pick in 2013. He has seven solid years of MLB action under his belt and will bring a strong veteran presence to the Texas rotation.

This past season was a tale of two halves for Gray. Through 16 games prior to the All-Star Break, he went 6-6 with 80 strikeouts, a 3.77 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and .219 OBA. On the other side of the break, though, he posted a 2-6 record with 77 strikeouts over 13 games. During this span, he notched a 5.71 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and .277 OBA.

Although Gray’s stint in Colorado came to a shaky end, he offered promise in the form of 76th-percentile fastball velocity and 69th-percentile curveball spin.

His breaking pitches looked very impressive in 2021. His slider came with a .120 OBA, .278 xwOBA, and 30 percent whiff rate while his curveball was responsible for a .156 OBA, .234 xwOBA, and 38.8 percent whiff rate.

Gray joins a Texas rotation that is very thin at the moment. The unit is currently headlined by reliever-turned-starter Taylor Hearn and former top prospects acquired via trade in Dane Dunning, A.J. Alexy, and Spencer Howard.

Between Gray, Marcus Semien, and Kole Calhoun, the Rangers have now committed nearly a quarter-billion dollars to free agents today alone.