Three options for the Texas Rangers to replace Jacob deGrom

The Texas Rangers knew the risk when they signed Jacob deGrom to a 5-year, $185-million deal.

And just like he did with the New York Mets since winning a second consecutive Cy Young Award in 2019, deGrom has spent more time on the injured list than the mound for the Rangers.

deGrom will earn the remainder of his $30 million owed for 2023 on the IL after news broke Tuesday afternoon that he will undergo Tommy John surgery. It’s unclear exactly how much time deGrom will miss, but he’s definitely done for the season and likely doesn’t return until the middle of 2024.

But the Rangers aren’t hitting the panic button, and their fans shouldn’t be, either.

Here are three options to fill the now season-long void being left by deGrom, including a pair of potential trades with the flailing Chicago White Sox.

Option A: Trade for Dylan Cease

The exchange: The Rangers receive right-handed starter Dylan Cease from the White Sox for right-handed pitcher Owen White, left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans, infielder Justin Foscue and outfielder Aaron Zavala.

This price is steep, but Cease is arguably the prize of the trade deadline. The 27-year-old righty hasn’t had a great season with a 4.63 ERA, but he’s a proven commodity with a 3.69 ERA in 103 career starts, including a 2.20 ERA in 32 2022 starts.

A change of scenery might do him well, getting away from a tanking organization ready to try a quick rebuild.

This scenario has the Rangers sending the White Sox four players either ready for the show or close to it. White is the Rangers’ No. 2 prospect and doing well in Double-A, albeit with slight control issues.

White could be a big part of the Rangers’ future but surrendering him for Cease, who still has two years of arbitration, would be well worth it.

Foscue has an MLB-ready bat but is blocked by the likes of Josh Jung and Marcus Semien. Foscue has an impressive .286/.417/.516 batting line in Triple-A.

Ragans has a 5.32 ERA as one of the Rangers’ long-relief arms, but the former first-round pick is 25-years-old who can still reach the potential that made him the 30th overall pick in 2016.

Finally, Zavala just gets on base. What he lacks in power he makes up for with solid contact and the ability to draw walks. He’s got a .394 on-base percentage at Double-A.

Option B: Trade for Lucas Giolito

The exchange: The Rangers receive right-handed starter Lucas Giolito from the White Sox for right-handed pitcher Cole Ragans and infielder Justin Foscue.

Don’t want to pay the price for Cease? You can get Giolito for half the cost.

Giolito, a former No. 1 overall prospect according to multiple publications, has never lived up to that hype, but he has been an above average starter. He’s a free agent after this season, and the White Sox are unlikely to retain him.

Giolito has a 4.08 ERA this season, rebounding from a rough 4.90 showing in 2022. He comes with risk, but that explains the lower price.

Foscue should be of high interest to the White Sox. They can plug him into their lineup immediately at second base, taking over for future Ranger Hall of Famer, Elvis Andrus, and his paltry .194 batting average. Romy Gonzalez also gets playing time at the keystone, but he’s batting only a slightly better .208.

Ragans, as mentioned above, gives the White Sox a chance to replace Giolito in the rotation immediately.

This deal seems more likely, given that the Rangers don’t need a top-of-the-line arm like Cease to fill out what has been a stellar rotation.

Option C: Stand Pat

This is Option C for the sake of this column. In truth, it should be the Rangers’ Plan A.

Do you really want to mess with what’s working?

Dane Dunning has been very good taking deGrom’s spot in the rotation, transitioning from the team’s long-relief arm and turning in a 2.28 ERA with 21 strikeouts and six walks in five starts.

If Dunning continues pitching at that level, there isn’t anyone on the market who can better replace deGrom.

This Rangers team has something past versions have not — organizational pitching depth. The big free agent signings of the past two years, adding Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Martin Perez and Nathan Eovaldi, have allowed the development of depth in the minor leagues.

Dunning has been a revelation in what would have been a breakout season even if he had remained in the bullpen.

Cody Bradford got hit around in his two starts for the Rangers, but the 25-year-old lefty has been stellar at Triple-A and is a nice depth option should more injuries arrive for this rotation. Zak Kent is another Triple-A arm to watch.

While Cease is a very tempting option, the Rangers’ bigger need remains in the bullpen. And some of these valuable trade chips must be reserved to fix that problem.

Don’t expect a knee-jerk reaction from the Rangers with deGrom lost for at least a full calendar year. They hoped to have built-in contingencies for the likelihood of deGrom suffering a serious injury. This includes the contract dipping to $20 million in value for the 2028 season due to the Tommy John surgery.

Dunning was also part of that contingency, and it couldn’t have worked out better.

If there’s another serious injury to the rotation, Cease, Giolito or maybe San Francisco’s Alex Wood or Alex Cobb become a consideration.

For now, the Rangers’ best option is riding the current success of its rotation and using its minor league assets to acquire help elsewhere.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Three options for the Texas Rangers to replace Jacob deGrom