Despite owning the second-best record in all of baseball, there have been some difficulties to overcome for the Texas Rangers, particularly with veteran right-hander Jacob deGrom.
deGrom joined the Rangers on a five-year, $185 million contract during the offseason.
Unfortunately, barely two months into his tenure with the Rangers, the former Cy Young Award winner went on the injured list with an elbow injury.
On Tuesday, it was announced that deGrom would need Tommy John surgery and be forced to miss the rest of the 2023 season.
On Twitter, MLB insider Bob Nightengale pointed out a sad reality for the Rangers, that deGrom could possibly be out for all of 2024 and that when he returns in 2025, he’ll still have three years and $115 million left on his contract.
Jacob deGrom will have three years and $115 million left on his 5-year, $185 million contract when he’s expected to return in 2025
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 6, 2023
This is not good news for the Rangers.
The team committed a large amount of money to the former Cy Young back in December.
But with his injury, the Rangers are now saddled with that contract and may not be able to pursue other pieces as a result.
deGrom has started just six games for the Rangers this season.
His numbers have been pretty solid.
The 34-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA over 30.1 innings of work.
In his absence, Nathan Eovaldi has stepped up and emerged as the team’s ace.
But the sad reality for the Rangers is that when deGrom returns, he’ll be 36 years old and will still have three full years left on his deal, and the Rangers will still owe him over $100 million when the time comes.
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Adolis Garcia Discusses Rangers’ Early Success In 2023