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Colorado Rockies: Ready to move on from Jon Gray?

By Aaron Hurt

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies gives up the ball to manager Bud Black #10 and leaves the game during the third inning of the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies gives up the ball to manager Bud Black #10 and leaves the game during the third inning of the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /
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This may be an extreme overreaction to a very deep and fresh wound, but it might be time for the Colorado Rockies to move on from starter Jon Gray.

Gray’s excruciating performance in Monday night’s 8-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers was just another prime example of Gray’s failure to show up in a long line of games where the Colorado Rockies needed him the most.

Over the past calendar year, the once promising right hander has taken the mound in four, what some might consider “big” games: Last season’s Wild Card, Opening Day, a week ago against the Dodgers, and Monday night.

To say that he hasn’t performed well in those games may be a bit of an understatement. Here are his lines from those games:

2017 Wild Card Game
DateOppRsltIPHRERBBSOHR
Oct 4ARIL,8-111.1744021
2018 
DateOppRsltIPHRERBBSOHR
Mar 29ARIL,2-84.0633340
Sep 7LADL,2-44.0422541
Sep 17LADL,2-82.0766212

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

In those four games, he is a combined 0-4, giving up 24 hits, 15 earned runs, 10 walks, 4 home runs, and striking out 11 in just 11.1 innings for a grand total of a 11.91 ERA.  That is not what the Rockies should expect from the guy they had hoped would become the ace of the staff.  Throw in his season’s stats of 11-8 with a 5.07 ERA in 29 starts and that might call for a some changes.

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Of course, it is too late in the season to do anything at the moment and the Rockies will need Gray for 2 or 3 more very important starts this season, but some decisions might need to be made over the winter.

The 26 year-old Gray is under team control until the 2021 season as this offseason will be the first year he is eligible for arbitration.  The Rockies could move him to the bullpen where his arsenal of pitches might be more effective in short burst instead of over the course of a nine-inning game.

The Rockies could look for a trade partner.  Gray is still young at the age of 26, and his raw ability could still attract some suitors and the Rockies could get a nice return for him.  A change of scenery might also be good for Gray, who hasn’t been able to live up to the lofty expectations the Rockies had when they drafted him 3rd overall in the 2013 draft.

Or finally, the Rockies can stick with him and hope he finally figures things out as a starter.  This is probably the most likely to happen considering how the Rockies tend to operate but after three plus years as a starter, can we expect Gray’s results to be any different?

dark. Next. Watch this impressive catch from Trevor Story in San Francisco

Time is running out on the Rockies’ season and if they plan on making the playoffs, they are going to need Jon Gray to perform like “The Gray Wolf” everyone expects him to be…but this winter it might be time for the Rockies to re-evaluate and make some important changes.

UPDATE: It seems the Rockies are skipping Gray’s next start, per Nick Groke of The Athletic…

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