Most pundits seemed pretty sure the Texas Rangers would sign a big name pitcher this offseason…and they did! Of course, they all thought it would be Clayton Kershaw, not Jacob deGrom.
deGrom has signed for five years, $185M. There is a $37M sixth year option too. deGrom also gets a full no-trade clause. The attraction for the Rangers is obvious: they just signed a guy with a career 2.52 ERA, 10.9 K/9 over 9 seasons and two Cy Young awards. The downside is also pretty clear: three IL stints over the past two seasons limiting him to 26 starts total. If he stays healthy, the Rangers just became a whole lot more interesting with a rotation including him and Jon Gray.
I haven’t gotten around to the postmortem posts for the Mets and Rangers, but obviously this deal will be brought up for both.
Meanwhile, the Rays just signed their biggest free agent deal ever, bringing in Zach Eflin from the Phillies for $40M over three years. There are now only two teams that have never signed a free agent for at least $40M: the A’s and Pirates.
Fan Interference 
I wouldn’t give that much of someone else’s money (let aline my own if I had it) to a ticking time bomb like de Grom. Not only does he have the noted injury history, but he’ll be 35 in June. The Rangers spent a ton on Seager and Semien kast year and still won less than 70 games. Can’t see de Grom as the piece that makes them contenders.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rangers definitely are more than one player from contention now just as they were when they paid half a billion for Semien and Seager last year. (That’s why I only said they would be more interesting if deGrom stays healthy, which is itself no given.) If they don’t do better at finding and developing role players and depth, then it’ll be fool’s money that they are spending.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was a report in the NY Post that the Mets offered deGrom 3 years for $120 Million, which is a higher per year average but less total guaranteed money. It was pretty obvious that he wanted to leave the Mets.
LikeLike