Agreed to a five-year contract with right-handed starter Jacob deGrom Texas Rangers, the club announced Friday night. No financial terms have been disclosed by the company. But MLB.com’s Kennedy Landry reports the deal is worth $185 million.
deGrom, 34, was ranked by CBS Sports as the second best free agent available this winter. Here’s what we wrote at the time:
It reads oddly given deGrom’s excellent track record, but he may be the biggest risk-reward proposition in the class. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the game since his debut in 2014, of course, amassing two Cy Young Awards and four All-Star Game appearances. There’s no need to question his legacy or his ability to throw the baseball with great skill when he’s healthy — and it rubs in: How often will he go forward? Injuries have limited DeGrom to just 26 starts over the past two seasons, and he’s now a half-year shy of turning 35. Pitchers don’t tend to stay healthy as they age. Seeing as DeGrom is paying him $32.5 million off a one-year deal, he could be looking to strike a deal with an AAV closer to the $43 million Max Scherzer earned last winter. Someone will undoubtedly jump at the chance to add a bonafide ace to their rotation, but if deGrom’s body continues to fail to comply, they could face buyer’s remorse.
It marks the second straight offseason the Rangers have made a splash, following the signings of two top position players last winter in Marcus Siemian and Corey Seager. Texas made a small splash over the winter by hiring three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy as manager.
“We are thrilled that Jacob deGrom has decided to become a Texas Ranger,” Rangers executive vice president and general manager Chris Young said in a press release. “Jacob has been an outstanding Major League pitcher for several seasons, and he provides a dominant performer at the top of our rotation. One of our primary goals this season is to strengthen our starting lineup, and we’re adding one. All the best to the deGrom family for the Rangers.”
deGrom now fronts a rotation that has been one of the weak spots on the Rangers’ roster. Texas Atlanta acquired Jake Odorizzi from the Braves in early November, making deGrom the second addition to their starting five; When Martin Perez accepted a qualifying offer, they retained him. The Rangers also have a number of young starters, including recent top-five picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker and Owen White.
The Rangers could envision the following rotation on Opening Day:
- Jacob deGrom
- Martin Perez
- John Gray
- Jake Odorizzi
- Dan Dunning
The signing is sure to have a meaningful impact on the winter meetings that begin on Sunday. His old team, The New York Mets, could pursue top free-agent starters in an effort to replace him, as well as fill the holes left by the departing Chris Bassitt, Tajiuan Walker and Trevor Williams. Those efforts are expected to include Justin Verlander, Carlos Roden and Kodai Cenga, among other potential options.
