Oakland Athletics: Potential landing spots for Athletics’ pitcher Sonny Gray

The All-Star break has come and gone, and now baseball shifts into one of the most pivotal times of the season. From now until July 31, teams have the opportunity to help themselves for the present or the future via trade.

With the trade deadline approaching quickly, teams have little time to decide whether they’ll buy or sell come July 31. Some teams already plan to sell and rebuild for the future. One of those clubs is the Oakland Athletics.

The A’s have some key trade chips that they can use to get some young talent back. None of their players are more valuable than right-handed starting pitcher Sonny Gray. More than likely, the A’s trade him by the deadline.

A team in contention can never have enough pitching, and Gray’s the type of pitcher that brings ace material to the rotation. Gray won’t come cheap, especially after the price the Cubs paid for Jose Quintana this week. In a market that demands a lot of pitching, the A’s look to get a good haul of prospects in return for the 27-year-old.

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In five big league seasons, Gray owns a 43-45 record, 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 592 strikeouts. His record doesn’t do him justice. His team has failed to give optimal run support and defensive support during portions of his career.

Gray had a career year in 2015. He posted an ERA of 2.73, a 14-7 record, a 1.082 WHIP and 169 strikeouts. His pitching earned him an All-Star selection and he also finished third in the AL Cy Young voting.

Injury trouble in 2016 led to the worst season of his career. He finished with a 5.69 ERA, a 5-11 record, a 1.496 WHIP and 94 strikeouts. His injury problems carried into 2017 and he missed the first month.

After starting the season on the DL, Gray has bounced back and pitched well in 2017. He owns a 5-4 record, a 3.72 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 79 strikeouts.

Gray’s presence and talent could help any club in contention. Let’s take a look at some potential landing spots for him.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs made the first big splash of the 2017 season on Thursday. They acquired left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects (Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Matt Rose and Bryant Flete).

According to MLB.com reporter Jon Morosi, the Cubs remain interested in acquiring Gray.

As he points out, they need to fill some holes for the 2018 rotation. With Jake Arrieta and John Lackey both becoming free agents after the 2017 season, Quintana added a guaranteed arm to that rotation. He’s not a free agent until 2019. Gray could do the same for the same for the Cubs. He isn’t a free agent until 2020.

Although, the Cubs need Quintana and possibly Gray to come through for them now. After winning the World Series in 2016 and breaking a 108-year championship drought, the Cubs remain in a World Series hangover and can’t seem to snap out of it.

Many people coming into the season thought that the Cubs had the NL Central in the bag. So far that’s not the case, though. They currently sit 5.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers.

Perhaps adding a couple new guys to the squad can spark winning ways for the Cubs. Gray could play a key role for them down the stretch, in the postseason (if they get in) and for the next couple seasons, as well.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Cubs aren’t the only team in the NL Central that has a shot to snag Gray. That’s right, the Brewers need to make a move to help them improve their chances of making the playoffs. Upgrading the starting rotation is a must for this club in order to give them the best chance of doing so.

The current starting pitchers for the Brewers don’t stand out when you think of a playoff team. Chase Anderson‘s pitched best for them this season but he currently sits on the DL with an oblique strain. Jimmy Nelson and Matt Garza continue to pitch well for the Brewers, but Junior Guerra and Zach Davies both haven’t lived up to expectations in 2017.

Adding Gray into the mix gives the Brewers a true ace and takes some of the pressure off of the other pitchers in the rotation.

FanRag Sports reporter Jon Heyman tweeted about Gray and Brewers’ pitching coach Derek Johnson. He mentions that Johnson coached Gray in college at Vanderbilt University.

Another connection that Gray has with the Brewers is one of their catchers, Stephen Vogt. The A’s designated Vogt for assignment earlier in the season and the Brewers picked him up to platoon with Manny Pina. Vogt and Gray worked together in Oakland for four seasons and have made the postseason together, which holds added benefits for Milwaukee.

With the connections Gray has with the Brewers and the need the team has for pitching, he seems like a perfect fit in Milwaukee. Not to mention the Brewers have plenty of top outfield prospects, one area the A’s could certainly use an upgrade.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are already one of the best teams in baseball, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. They possess two aces already in Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers. Imagine throwing Gray in with those two guys.

The Astros’ offense can carry the team to the postseason and with a comfortable double-digit lead in the AL West, the Astros look locked and loaded for a run in October. With that said, playoff baseball can change a team.

Pitching proves vital for any playoff team. After Keuchel and McCullers, the Astros’ rotation remains shaky. Can Charlie Morton, Mike Fiers and Brad Peacock pitch well against other powerhouse teams in October? If the Astros acquire Gray, that won’t be an issue.

In the playoffs, with the amount of off days that preside, the Astros could run a three-man rotation revolving Keuchel, McCullers and Gray. Combine that starting pitching with the Astros’ offense and relief corps and they instantly become a much bigger threat.

The Astros also have some talented prospects available to trade. Kyle Tucker, Francis Martes, Derek Fisher and a few other guys are all top prospects. Acquiring just a few of these prospects could work wonders for the Athletics’ rebuilding plans. The one caveat would be that they’d be going to a division rival.