Rangers Roster Review: Jon Gray’s Texas Tenure Ends with More Questions Than Answers
As we move into the heart of the offseason, it’s time to take a closer look at the players who suited up for the Texas Rangers in 2025. Today, we focus on right-hander Jon Gray – a pitcher whose time in Arlington promised more than it ultimately delivered.
When the Rangers signed Gray to a four-year, $56 million deal in December 2021, it was a move that flew under the radar compared to the headline-grabbing additions of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. But for those who looked beyond the splash, Gray’s deal had the makings of a smart, calculated play. He came without the draft pick penalty that accompanied the other two, and there was a belief – a reasonable one – that getting Gray out of Coors Field and into a more neutral environment might unlock another level in his game.
The pedigree was there. Third overall pick in 2013.
Electric stuff. Flashes of dominance.
But also, a track record of inconsistency and injury that made the signing a bit of a gamble. The Rangers were betting they could keep him healthy and help him turn the corner.
That bet never quite cashed in.
Gray’s first two seasons in Texas – 2022 and 2023 – were serviceable, but not transformative. Durability remained an issue, and while he showed glimpses of the pitcher Texas hoped for, he never fully broke through.
The strikeouts were there at times, but so were the nagging injuries. It was a cycle of promise and pause.
Then came 2024, and the wheels started to wobble. His strikeout rate dropped, and he missed more time.
The season ended early with a shutdown due to a right foot neuroma – a rare and painful nerve issue that doesn’t show up on many injury reports. It was another frustrating setback in a career that’s had more than its share.
Still, 2025 offered a clean slate. A chance to reset.
But before the season even began, disaster struck. In a spring game against his former team, Gray took a line drive off the wrist.
The result: a fracture that sidelined him until after the All-Star break. When he returned, the Rangers eased him back in as a multi-inning reliever – a role that made sense given the layoff and his injury history.
But he only made six appearances before landing back on the injured list, this time with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
That diagnosis effectively ended his season – and possibly his career.
Gray is now a free agent. While it’s presumed he’s undergone surgery for TOS, there’s been no official confirmation.
Recovery from that procedure typically takes 9 to 12 months, meaning even in the best-case scenario, he’s likely to miss a large chunk of the 2026 season. And that’s assuming he wants to pitch again.
After the diagnosis, Gray openly acknowledged he was considering retirement. At 34, with a long list of physical setbacks and a body that’s taken a beating, it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to walk away. It’s a tough decision, but one that many pitchers in his situation have faced.
Looking back, Jon Gray’s time with the Rangers is tough to fully define. There were moments when you saw the potential – the mid-90s fastball, the wipeout slider, the bulldog mentality on the mound. But those moments were too often interrupted by injuries, and the consistency never came.
For Texas, Gray’s tenure will go down as a well-intentioned move that just didn’t pan out. The front office saw a buy-low opportunity with upside, and given the team’s state at the time – coming off a 100-loss season and in the early stages of a rebuild – it was a risk worth taking.
But in the end, Gray leaves the Rangers as a what-if. A talented arm that couldn’t stay healthy long enough to make the impact both sides hoped for.
Whether Gray gives it one more shot or decides to call it a career, he leaves behind a complicated legacy in Texas – one shaped by flashes of promise, persistent injuries, and the all-too-familiar question of what might have been.
