Minnesota Twins land new ace via trade in the form of Sonny Gray

In a shocking development that has seemingly come out of nowhere, the Minnesota Twins have acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds via trade. Young pitcher Francis Peguero is also joining the Twins and prized pitching prospect Chase Petty is going from Minnesota to Cincinnati.

The huge trade today suggests that the Twins are going to be focused on competing this season, as Gray is set to become a free agent at season’s end (although his contract does have a club option for the 2023 season).

The return for the Twins speaks for itself. Sonny Gray will immediately slot in to the club’s rotation as it’s ace alongside newly signed Dylan Bundy. Gray, a two-time All-Star, has spent the last three seasons as a member of the Reds, showing occasional glimpses of greatness throughout the tenure.

Last season, Gray made 26 starts for the Reds, going 7-9 and posting a 4.19 ERA in 135+ innings of work. He managed to post a SO/9 above 10.0 for just the third time in his career (all three times have been with the Reds) and limited walks well too, posting a 3.3 BB/9 rate.

Gray relies heavily on his two fastballs (two-seam/sinker and four-seam) as well as his excellent curveball. Last season, hitters were only able to hit .213 against his sinker/two-seamer and a measly .162 and .182 against his slider and cutter.

Also joining the Twins in the deal is Francis Peguero, a 24-year old right-handed reliever who made it up to High-A ball last season with the Reds. Peguero appeared in 28 games and pitched 32.2 innings, posting a 4.96 ERA along with 36 strikeouts against just 7 walks.

Heading back to the Cincinnati Reds will be Chase Petty, an 18-year old starting pitcher who made his professional debut last season with the Twins’ Rookie-ball level. In two games (one start), Petty struck out six and walked one in just five innings. Petty was selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and is said to possess a fastball that regularly reaches triple-digits.

Last season as a senior in high school, Petty not only crushed a two-run home run in his biggest start of the year, but he also threw an 18 strikeout no-hitter with MLB scouts in the stands. The Twins, and now the Reds, have been very high on him and his development, understandably so.

The Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds have pulled off a blockbuster trade that even had Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal bamboozled. The deal was not even rumored to be a thing until the Twins themselves announced. With a new ace in tow, the club is clearly planning on contending as soon as the upcoming season.