Big signing, big upgrade?

It’s been almost a month since the 2023 season started. In the first month of the 2023 season, there are several players who have been playing well. In particular, some of them were free agents and signed a new contract with a different team. While seeing these players’ performances, I’m wondering whether some teams made a good decision to ink a big deal with top free agents. First of all, let’s start with the Rangers. Jacob deGrom was selected by the Mets in the 9th round of the 2010 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2014 and won the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year award. In total, he spent 9 seasons in the Mets uniform, posting a 2.52 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over 1326 innings. Last season, deGrom made 11 starts for the Mets. In 2022, he owned a 3.08 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP in 64.1 innings. He inked a 5-year contract with the Rangers last December. By far, deGrom made 4 starts for the Rangers. He now has a 3.48 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 20.2 innings. It’s worth noting that among those 4 starts, there are 2 times that deGrom couldn’t reach 5 innings. Meanwhile, the Rangers also signed a 2-year deal with Nathan Eovaldi. He made 20 starts for the Red Sox in 2022, posting a 3.87 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 109.1 innings. Eovaldi made 4 starts for the Rangers by far this season, he now has a 5.40 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP in 21.2 innings. Furthermore, the Rangers agreed with Andrew Heaney to a 2-year deal. Heaney now owns a 4.34 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over 18.2 innings.

In addition, Jameson Taillon and Taijuan Walker each left New York and signed a 4-year contract during the offseason. Taillon was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft. By far in his career, Taillon underwent 2 Tommy John surgeries, but he’s still able to prove that he’s one of the most reliable pitchers in the majors. He made 32 starts for the New York Yankees in 2022, posting a 3.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 177.1 innings. Taillon signed a 4-year deal with the Cubs last December and now, he has a 4.50 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP after making 3 starts. Taillon was just placed on the IL. Furthermore, Taijuan Walker inked a 4-year contract with the Phillies. Walker made 29 starts for the New York Mets in 2022. He owned a 3.49 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 157.1 innings. By far, Walker made 4 starts for the Phillies. He owns a 3.80 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP over 21.1 innings.

Finally, Carlos Rodon and Justin Verlander each started the 2023 season on the injured list. Rodon finalized a 6-year deal with the Yankees and Verlander, who won the 2022 AL Cy Young award, signed a 2-year contract with the Mets. Baseball fans in New York have to be patient to wait for Rodon and Verlander to go to the mound. At the same time, the Rangers have spent a lot during the offseason. Among 3 starters they signed during the offseason, deGrom’s numbers are ok. But, health might be a concern because he didn’t reach 100 innings over the last 2 seasons. Moreover, Taillon, Rodon and Verlander are currently on the IL. That’s always a risk in signing a free agent. Hopefully, they will come back to the mound soon.