Jon Gray: Rangers’ strong pitch to be No. 1 starter convinced him to leave Rockies

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jon Gray stood near the visiting dugout at Globe Life Field Monday, about three hours before his Rangers faced off against his former team.

“It’s kind of emotional, in a way, but then again, that’s part of life,” Gray said. “Everything goes on, things change, for the better for the most part.”

Still, the question lingers: why did Gray leave via free agency after saying most of last season that he wanted to stay in Colorado?

Obviously, the fact that the Rangers gave him a four-year, $56 million contract had a lot to do with it. But, Gray said, that’s not the whole reason. The Rangers’ desire to have him be their No. 1 starter had a lot to do with it.

“It was a very hard decision really, just knowing everyone and (playing with Colorado) my whole career. It was very tough,” he said. “I was close with a lot of players, close with a lot of coaches. And the fans, and Coors Field, I love that place.

“But I felt like it was kind of my time to move on. And then, again, the contract was so good and it felt good to have someone say, ‘We think you are this good …”

Gray made his debut Rangers debut on Friday night at Toronto, but on Saturday he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger blister. He was sharp in the first three innings vs. a powerful Blue Jay lineup before giving up three runs in his fourth and final inning.

After the game, Gray said the blister flared up between the third and fourth innings and he told reporters that he couldn’t trust his stuff once the blister began affecting his grip.

The Rangers have a young rotation and Gray is expected to help lead the younger pitchers. He said he’s eager for the challenge and welcomes the pressure of being the Rangers’ No. 1 starter.

“It’s been fine,” Gray said. “It hasn’t put me on my heels at all. It just puts me in attack mode and I feel like that’s a good spot to be in.”

Gray ranks high on the Rockies’ franchise leaderboard in strikeouts (849, second), innings pitched (829 1/3, sixth), wins (wins 53, tied for seventh), and games started (152, fifth). Gray’s .633 (31-18) career-winning percentage at home is the third-best mark in franchise history (minimum of 40 starts) behind Jorge De La Rosa (.726, 53-20) and current Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (.667, 24-12).

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