Texas Rangers: Triple threat free agency decisions

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 3 ($60.5 million)

• Jon Gray (30), SP – 4 years/ $56 million
• Carlos Correa (27), SS – 10 years/$315 million
• Chris Taylor (31), OF -4 years/$60 million

Gray may not be the flashiest name nor top-of-the-market free agent but he would be a solid signing by the Texas Rangers. Gray was drafted 3rd overall in 2013 but never has lived up to his potential. The owner of a career 4.59 ERA, Gray didn’t exactly blow the doors off in 2021 matching that career ERA at 4.59. Grays best years were in 2017 and 2019 when he posted a 3.67 ERA and 3.84 ERA respectively.  He is known as a strikeout pitcher and has been consistent with his career mark of 9.2 K’s per 9. Ideally, the Rangers could get him on a 3-year deal for around $36 million, but given he just turned down a similar offer, you’ll have to go higher. It could be worth the reach though for Gray to achieve his potential and become a Lynn/Minor/Gibson type of player.

Correa is expected to be the highest-paid free agent this year and rightfully so. It’ll take a full-court press of recruiting coupled with the willingness to offer a massive deal to get him. the 2-time All-Star set a new career-high in homers at 26 while slashing .279/.366/.485. His defense is even better than his offense given he’s always in contention for a Gold Glove at the key position. His leadership and competitiveness will be in high demand this year and the Rangers should absolutely do what they can to sign him.

Taylor is labeled as an outfielder here but he’s much more than that. Though the outfield may be the primary part of the field he plays, Taylor is a Swiss army knife type player. He could fill in at 2B and SS if injuries or other circumstances should arise. His offense is pretty dang good too. Over his 8 year career, he’s accumulated 79 home runs with a .261 batting average. The home run number may seem low for 8 years but 78 of those home runs have come over the past 5 years when he became a regular player. Also factoring in the shortened 2020 season, it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect 15-20 home runs a year from him. Taylor may benefit from his first All-Star appearance in 2021 this offseason and see an increased demand for his services. This demand could drive his market up to the 15 million range which is a bit high but the ability to play multiple positions and be a consistent offensive threat could pay off.