A TO Z: J is for...

Jacob deGrom, the news of whose signing with Texas rocked the baseball world over the weekend before the opening of the Winter Meetings.  The 2014 Rookie of the Year and two-time Cy Young Award winner made no secret of his intentions to shop himself around this winter -- the big surprise was how early he chose his new team, and how he apparently never gave the Mets a chance to match the Rangers offer.  

His five-year, $185 million dollar contract pushes Texas' free agent outlay the last two years two-thirds of the way to a BILLION DOLLARS. Chew on that for a moment.  Trying to close the gap with the reigning World Champion Astros and the young, rising Mariners, the Rangers might not be done writing big checks and shaking up its roster under new skipper Bruce Bochy.  

Let's not forget the risk Texas takes on; this is a pitcher who turns 35 next June, who has missed more than half his starts over the past two years.  Injuries mean rehab starts like the one in Syracuse where I last saw deGrom last July 27th.  What are the odds that sometime in 2023 or '24, there is a similar photo to be snapped in Round Rock?

For the moment, deGrom is the big prize. A very big one. That carries big risks.



 

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