Oakland Athletics: Sonny Gray Open to Talking Extension
Sonny Gray has had a disappointing year, but he is reportedly interested in discussing a long-term deal with the Oakland Athletics.
Sonny Gray is in the midst of the worst season in his career. He has gone from an ace for the Oakland Athletics to a pitcher who would fail to maintain a spot in many rotations. Despite his struggles this season, Gray has let the Athletics know he is willing to talk an extension with the team.
While it may seem odd to extend a pitcher who has struggled to stay on the field or pitch productively, it would make perfect sense for the Athletics. The Athletics front office has been unorthodox in how they manage their team but this move would be a perfect one that could look genius in future seasons.
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Gray has proven he can be a productive pitcher putting back-to-back seasons together where he looked like an ace. The A’s know the pitcher he can be and should take advantage of his down season while they can. While it may seem odd to encourage low-balling a player in a down year, in today’s market it is more than fair.
The Athletics have Sonny under their control for another few seasons. He will soon be ready for arbitration and his price will only go up from there. The free agent market has ballooned beyond the Athletics’ budget and would leave them out of potentially bringing Gray back to the team in his free agent year, assuming that he is able to return to the pitcher he was before this season.
Not only would it be a good move for the A’s to lock up a talented pitcher, it could ensure them a huge payday as well. The Athletics haven’t been shy about making big trades of key players in past seasons. If they decided to trade Gray, having him locked up long-term under an affordable contract would be a great move for the Athletics.
There looks to be little reason for the Athletics to not at least attempt to sign Gray to a long-term deal. If they wait another season, more than likely Gray’s price tag will balloon if he manages to bounce back to the player that many people expect him to be in future seasons.
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As a side note, it will be interesting to see if Gray is willing to accept a contract at a discounted rate considering the paydays he has seen other pitchers receiving in free agency. His expectations may not be met by the Athletics, but it is a possibility that they will no doubt explore this offseason.