New York Yankees fans anticipated the front office to swap Sonny Gray for a promising prospect. And now it’s a fact, as they have agreed on a deal with the Reds.
The New York Yankees took a risk in 2017 when the acquired starting pitcher Sonny Gray from Oakland. And while Gray’s resumé looked promising at that time, he became a liability in the Bronx.
But he’s not going to be one any longer.
New York is finalizing a deal with Cincinnati regarding the 29-year-old. The swap revolves around second baseman Shed Long, a top-10 prospect in the Reds organization. A draft pick is also being sent to the Yankees, with a possible third player involved, per Jon Heyman.
Other teams, such as San Francisco, Atlanta, and Milwaukee were in the mix. But none of the three seemingly offered a more appealing package than Long.
Yankees, Reds are finalizing the Sonny Gray trade. infield prospect Shed Long and a draft pick are expected to go to NY, and possibly a 3rd lesser piece. Long is an excellent hitter, fair defender. Just need to cross t’s, dot i’s (ie medicals, 40-man considerations, etc.)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2019
For Gray, the exchange results in a fresh start in a new organization. Meanwhile, New York’s focus is strengthening its farm system, as it lacks a plethora of position player prospects.
Gray was currently the odd man out of the rotation at this point. With J.A. Happ re-signing and James Paxton’s addition, only an injury would have allowed Gray to re-join the starting crew. It was possible, given that Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and C.C. Sabathia are all injury-prone.
But Gray’s statistics would likely deter manager Aaron Boone from utilizing him as a starter. The right-hander owned a bloated 4.90 ERA in 2018 with a career-high WHIP and career-low strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Also, the Yankees already seem situated to rest, rather than overwork, their starters. General manager Brian Cashman augmented the bullpen knowing that the team’s rotation is its weak point.
Gray endured a few injuries that led to an uninspiring 2016 campaign. Yet the former All-Star looked more like himself in the first half of 2017. While on the Athletics that year, he struck out close to nine hitters per nine innings and his best FIP since his rookie season in 2013.
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The former top pitching prospect just couldn’t regain his prowess on the bump while in pinstripes. He struggled mightily with accuracy, allowing nearly four walks per nine innings. He also surrendered more than a hit per inning pitched.
With the departure, New York loses potential depth in its starting rotation. Yet, Cashman can still shop around for an additional starter prior to the trade deadline. It’s what the Yankees do essentially every summer.
However, the Yankees’ front office might be more hesitant to reel in a pitcher seemingly past his prime. They could also just rely on their surplus of pitchers on the doorstep of an MLB debut.
No matter what New York plans to do in the future, it will be doing so without Gray on the roster. Of course, he was not an asset during his tenure in the Bronx.