Jacob deGrom Hopes to Mentor Young Rangers Pitchers

Jacob deGrom said that veteran New York Mets pitchers were instrumental to his development and wants to return that favor in Texas.

The Texas Rangers believe they have the makings of a big-time rotation in their minor league system.

Arms belonging to the likes of Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter, Cole Winn and Owen White are among the top prospects in the organization, per MLB.com.

Among the many things prized free-agent signee Jacob deGrom hopes to be is a mentor to that young group of pitchers.

“That was something throughout my career that I had the privilege of being around, a bunch of really good pitchers and learning from them,” deGrom said last week. “So that's obviously going to be something that I take pride in. You know, if those guys have any questions, feel free to ask me.”

The Rangers have built a potential veteran rotation for 2023. deGrom and Andrew Heaney were added as free agents. Jake Odorizzi came tin a trade for reliever Dennis Santana. The two holdovers are Martín Pérez — who signed the Rangers’ $19.65 million qualifying offer — and Jon Gray.

But the future of that rotation is a bit deceiving. deGrom and Gray are under fully guaranteed contracts, and the only ones certain of a roster spot past 2023. Odorizzi and Pérez can be free agents after 2023. So can Heaney, whose contract includes an option after 2023 and the Rangers only need to pay him a $500,000 buyout.

The Rangers, to this point, haven’t dangled any of its young pitching in potential trades. Several youngsters turns in the Texas rotation in 2022 — most notably Glenn Otto, Dane Dunning, Cole Ragans and Spencer Howard. All four will back in 2023, but their roles are now to be determined.

Nor the aforementioned Rocker, Leiter, Winn and White. Or the other pitchers among their Top 30 prospects, which include last year’s fourth-round pick Brock Porter, Antoine Kelly, Tekoah Roby, Ricky Vanasco, Mitch Bratt, Emiliano Teodo, Avery Weems, Dane Acker, Zak Kent, Marc Church, Josh Stephan and Cory Bradford.

The only Top 30 prospect the Rangers lost was pitcher Mason Englert, whom the Detroit Tigers took in the first round of the Rule V Draft last week.

There’s a dual purpose to the Rangers’ spending this offseason. First, it was to help the Rangers take a swing at contending next season. Second, it was to buy their young arms more time to develop.

It was clear the latter wasn’t ready. But the Rangers could, at least, spend their way to the former.

“Don't tell me we can't (contend) when I think, when you look at our rotation, we're gonna have a chance to win every day,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “And that's all you can ask.”

And, once the youngsters get to Arlington, deGrom stands ready to return the favor Mets teammates extended to him when he broke in nearly a decade ago.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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