Colorado Rockies: Is Jon Gray a trade candidate?

Entering his final season before hitting free agency, Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray could be somebody that is traded soon.

There have been plenty of trade rumors behind Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story last offseason and this offseason but there has been very little surrounding starting pitcher Jon Gray.

However, like Story and possibly Arenado, Gray will be a free agent after the 2021 season. With how the Rockies are projected to be in 2021, Gray definitely is a candidate to be traded. MLB Trade Rumors also recently discussed him as a trade candidate.

Gray, 29, has had an injury-plagued and inconsistent career with the Rockies at the major league level in five-plus seasons. In parts of six seasons in the majors, he has only made 30 or more starts once, and that was in 2018 when he made 31 starts. But even in that season, his inconsistent results got him sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque after starting for the Rockies on Opening Day that year.

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If you want to see how inconsistent he has been, his ERA shows it very well.

2015: 5.53 ERA, 9 starts
2016: 4.61 ERA, 29 starts
2017: 3.67 ERA, 20 starts
2018: 5.12 ERA, 31 starts
2019: 3.84 ERA, 26 games (25 starts)
2020: 6.69 ERA, 8 starts

Part of the reason why he has seen inconsistent results is due to injuries. He missed the final month of the 2020 season due to shoulder inflammation and he missed the final two months in 2019 due to a fractured foot. But he missed even more time due to other injuries including ankle soreness, blisters, calf injuries, his first instance of a fractured foot, a “heavy” and “fatigued” shoulder, and an abdominal strain since he has been in the majors.

Even when he made his career-high of 31 starts in 2018, Gray said that he believed that he had a poor season due to not being healthy.

Gray is slated to make around $6.25 million in his final season of arbitration in 2021 so he has enough of a salary that it could help the Rockies make a move or two but also, it’s not exorbitant enough to scare most teams off.

Next. What the Rockies can learn from the Lindor trade. dark

However, if the Francisco Lindor trade is any indication, the Rockies likely wouldn’t get much in return for Gray but if they don’t think that they will be able to resign him or don’t want to resign him, getting something in return is better than nothing for the Rockies, who’s farm system is already depleted.

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