SF Giants: 3 Affordable Free Agent Starting Pitchers

1. Jon Gray

San Francisco Giants fans have become familiar with Jon Gray over the years as he has spent his entire big league career with the Colorado Rockies. He fits neatly into an Anthony DeSclafani mold as a hard-throwing right hander with a slider and changeup.

Gray has never been a great pitcher by any means. He is essentially a .500 pitcher with a career ERA of 4.59. In 2021 he went 8-12 with a 4.59 ERA in 149 innings with 157 strikeouts.

Those numbers won't blow any Giants fans away, but we must remember that Gray has pitched his entire career in the extremely hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. If the Giants were able to acquire him, perhaps he would flourish in a more pitcher-friendly environment.

In eight starts at Oracle Park, Gray has a 4.05 ERA in 40 innings pitched with 37 strikeouts. Those numbers are not much better than his career average, but he would still be a bargain compared to the top free agents out there and would probably put up similar numbers to Alex Wood over the course of a full season.

The Rockies tendered him a cotract for one year, $6 million deal prior to the 2021 season. That is the same amount the Giants paid for DeSclafani's services this past season. They could probably get him at a modest price increase for 2022 as a cost-effective right-hander that can be a mid-rotation arm.