Texas Rangers are doubling down on the free agency spending that they hope will get them back to relevance in MLB. Just a year after bringing in All-Star shortstop Corey Seager and All-MLB second baseman Marcus Semien, the Rangers now also landed ace Jacob deGrom.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, deGrom, who is a two-time Cy Young winner, inked a five-year deal with the Rangers. He will earn $185 million over the course of the deal. The agreement includes a no-trade clause and a sixth-year option worth $37 million.
Jacob deGrom spent his entire career in the majors with the New York Mets. He is considered one of the best pitchers of his generation, having earned four All-Star nods and two All-MLB First Team selections on top of his Cy Young awards.
DeGrom will join the Rangers after having his worst campaign in the past five years. He made 11 starts in 2022, posting a 3.08 ERA with a career-low 102 strikeouts and a 5-4 record.
Texas Rangers probably hope that deGrom’s struggles last season were an outlier. The 34-year-old player immediately becomes their top pitcher and someone they hope will help the entire team get to the top level. Despite a huge spending spree in previous free agency, the Rangers finished the season with disappointing 68 wins.
