Detroit Tigers rumors: Jon Gray a right-handed option to target

The Detroit Tigers continue to go into the offseason looking to boost this roster in any way they can. There are rumors flying around the league left and right and Agent Scott Boras offered his wild and electric thoughts to general managers around the league.

The latest rumors stemming around the Detroit Tigers have to do with the team targeting, Jon Gray, a right-handed starting pitcher who has been with the Colorado Rockies organization for some time now. It’s the other side of things from Eduardo Rodriguez who the team has also been rumored to be in on.

The Tigers want to add a starter to this team’s rotation and Gray is someone they view as both cost-effective and able to get the job done in an impactful way. He’s a seven-year veteran of the league and has certainly had his ups and downs over the years.

If the Tigers wanted to bring in a veteran on a deal that does not have them overspending, Gray should certainly be circled on their lists. However, it seems that the Colorado Rockies are going to try and retain the veteran but he is going to test the market and see which option suits him best.

The Detroit Tigers are rumored to be in on Jon Gray.

The last two seasons have not been Gray’s best, but he may be able to be signed cheaply and brought into a less hitter-friendly ballpark where he can get the job done for the Tigers. The Rockies ballpark certainly has not helped gray in any way.

In 2021, Gray made 29 starts for the Rockies where he was 8-12 while totaling 149 innings pitched. He would manage a 4.59 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and add 157 punchouts to his credit over the course of the season.

Taking a gamble on someone like Gray is a bit more worrisome. While Eduardo Rodriguez as mentioned above, is someone the Tigers may have to pay more for, the proven success is there over multiple seasons.

Whereas with Gray, he has been up and down and while the ballpark may have affected these numbers over the years, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect. If the Tigers are going to make a run at Gray the hope should be that he can be signed for a cheap deal and bolster down the backend of the team’s rotation.

The Tigers need pitching help, but panic signing a multi-year deal with players who are not truly going to bring help to this organization is a poor choice.