The Texas Rangers have high hopes for the 2025 season after a disappointing showing in 2024. However, the Rangers also have several question marks on their roster as spring training approaches.
One of those question marks revolves around the ninth inning. Reliever Chris Martin, who recently signed a one-year deal to return to Texas, has the most closing experience of any pitcher on the roster with 14 major-league saves. The Rangers bullpen has been completely overhauled but is lacking experience in the ninth inning.
The Rangers may be considering an unconventional option to take over in the ninth. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have had internal discussions about shifting pitcher Jon Gray to the closer role.
Grant did note that the Rangers consider Gray more valuable in the rotation due to his ability to churn out innings. He is a stabilizing factor in a rotation that has injury questions with Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle. Likewise, pitchers Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter and Cody Bradford are hardly proven at the major-league level.
Gray battled injuries as well, as 2024 marked his first full season where he had fewer than 20 starts and 110 innings. He posted a 4.47 ERA and a 1.31 WHiP in his 102.2 innings, striking out 86 batters with 28 walks.
Gray did spend time in the bullpen in 2024. Although he made just four appearances spanning seven innings, he performed well enough to intrigue the Rangers’ front office. Gray allowed just one run on four hits and two walks in those seven innings, striking out 10. While that is an extremely small sample size, it is enough to put Gray on the radar for the ninth inning.
The decision to move Gray to the closer role will not be made in a vacuum. Other pitchers need to show that they are healthy and ready to step up. Should that be the case, and Gray continues to perform well in shorter outings, the Rangers may have their closer after all.
