Oakland Athletics v Texas Rangers | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages

The Rangers find themselves in the enviable position of having too much of a good thing so far in 2025. No, it’s not hits with runners in scoring position, or run production. It’s actually starting pitching.

Even with the minor tricep injury to Nathan Eovaldi, the Rangers are still loaded at the starting pitcher job and they are expecting more back soon with Kumar Rocker sliding into Eovaldi’s spot to start Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yes, that will present future tough decisions needing to be made but the Rangers could help themselves by parting with this right-hander.

Rangers have too much good pitching, they might need to ditch this veteran’s salary

All of this is to say that they are paying way too much money to keep Jon Gray on the injured list. Yes, Gray has not pitched an inning this year, being on the 60-day injured list after fracturing his wrist in spring training, but the reason the Rangers need to unload him has nothing to do with his on-field performance

The organization is paying Gray a whopping $14 million this year and he will become a free agent in 2026. Even if Gray was actually playing and putting up his usual numbers of a 4.00 ERA and a .500 win/loss record, it is too much to be paying an average 33-year-old starter.

That $14 million could be put toward what the team needs right now, which is more production at the plate. You could argue that you can never have enough decent pitching but this team needs more pop in the lineup if they plan on contending this season.

For the amount of money the Rangers are essentially eating as Gray rehabs his injury, it could go towards a very productive bat, even as a rental if they decide to be buyers before the trade deadline. It would also be nice to have that gunpowder dry for next season if they opt to become sellers. Either way, the Rangers need to get out from under Gray’s deal as soon as possible.