Rangers To Sign Jon Gray To Four-Year Contract
The Texas Rangers made their first splash in free agency on Sunday afternoon, and it only took a few hours until they made their next one. This time, they upgraded their starting rotation.
Multiple sources confirm that the Rangers and right-handed pitcher Jon Gray have agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract. ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report the terms of the contract.
Gray, 30, is a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm, though he slots in at the top of the Rangers rotation. Through seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the Oklahoma native has posted a 53-49 record with a 4.59 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. The ERA mark may not excite fans, but Gray's career 3.91 FIP and 107 ERA+ could translate to better numbers with him set to pitch in a better environment like Globe Life Field, which is far more pitcher friendly than Coors Field.
Earlier on Sunday, the Rangers and shortstop/second baseman Marcus Semien agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract, and also agreed to a one-year, $5.2 million deal with outfielder Kole Calhoun. Adding to the two signings to the existing contracts, retained salaries and money set aside for their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players, the Rangers roughly have a $95 million payroll for next season. In October, president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said the club's 2022 budget would be "consistent with the market and fan base of this size". Dallas-Fort Worth is a top-five sports market.
Every indication right now is the Rangers are not done adding to their roster. Multiple sources confirm that the Rangers are still very involved in the sweepstakes for free agent shortstop Trevor Story, who the Rangers have already hosted in Arlington this offseason.
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