Colorado Rockies: Exploring trading away Jon Gray

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 29: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Washington Nationals int he first inning of a game at Coors Field on September 29, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 29: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Washington Nationals int he first inning of a game at Coors Field on September 29, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
11 of 12
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 14: Nate Jones #65 of the Chicago White Sox pitches in the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 14, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 14: Nate Jones #65 of the Chicago White Sox pitches in the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 14, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

There are two other White Sox that the Rockies could find of interest.

Right-handed reliever Nate Jones: The hard-throwing righty is the White Sox best reliever if he’s healthy. He has only pitched in 44 games combined in the past two years with an ERA of 2.81 (153 ERA+). He averaged 4.5 walks and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings in the past two years as well. 2016 was his last full season as he pitched in 71 games with an ERA of 2.29.

He is owed $4.65 million next year. In 2020, there is a team option for $3.75 million and another team option for 2021 worth $4.25 million (both of these options are lesser options than originally signed for but there was a clause in his contract extension saying that they will be the amounts listed above if he had to have elbow surgery, which he did have to have in 2017). Each option also has a buyout for $1.25 million for each year.

Outfielder Avisail GarciaThe White Sox have already been shopping Garcia on the market but there is also rumor that they may not tender him a contract for next season. He was an All-Star in 2018, though, as in 138 games, he had 171 hits, 18 HRs, 80 RBI, a .330/.380/.506 slash line, and a 138 OPS+. That OPS+ dropped down to 96 in 2018. He is another potential “change of scenery” candidate, much like Gray. He is projected to make $8 million this offseason, which is his final year of arbitration.

Schedule