Sonny Gray traded to Reds

A trade that has been anticipated for nearly four months finally came to fruition Monday afternoon. A trade involving Yankees starter Sonny Gray has been agreed to in principal and was finally deemed official as Gray is being shipped from the Bronx to Cincinnati.  Gray has agreed to an extension in Cincy, which was what was holding the deal up.

The Yankees receive the Reds seventh overall prospect, second basement Shed Long along with a draft pick in exchange for Gray and relief pitching prospect Reiver Sanmartin.  The Yankees made a corresponding move by sending Long to the Mariners in exchange for outfield prospect Josh Stowers.

The Reds are giving up a relatively high ranked prospect for Gray, but Ken Rosenthal explains singing Gray to an extension would “justify seemingly high acquisition cost for Gray.”

Gray, the Vanderbilt alum, was acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2017 from the Oakland Athletics is coming off a disastrous 2018 campaign. He finished the season with a 4.90 ERA, losing his spot in the rotation in August.

The New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman made it apparent at the start of the off-season that Gray would be available in trade talks. Cashman did not hide his feelings when it came to the right hander.

“It hasn’t worked out this far,” Cashman said in October. “I think he’s extremely talented. I think we’ll enter the winter open-minded to a relocation. To maximize his abilities I think it will be more likely best somewhere else.”

Gray is a talented pitcher who just could not perform in the Bronx. His highest ERA during his first three years with the Athletics was 3.08 which came in 2014. He has struggled to find his groove in two of the last three seasons. He finished 2016 with a 5.69 ERA in Oakland.

A change of scenery should help Gray in getting his career back on track after his abysmal 2018. As for the Yankees, they are receiving a formidable prospect in Stowers that they could only have gotten through trading a good prospect in Long.