After a very disappointing season where he saw an ERA close to five, Sonny Gray has been made basically a guarantee by Brian Cashman to be dealt this offseason. Jon Heyman of FanCred has reported this afternoon that talks are beginning to “ramp up” regarding the right-hander.
Gray, 29, posted a 4.90 ERA over 130.1 innings of work in a disappointing 2018 campaign. And a 6.98 ERA at home in the Bronx for sure didn’t help his cause, compared to a 3.17 on the road.
It seemed inevitable that Gray would be traded up until it was reported that CC Sabathia had to undergo a procedure on his heart, putting the Yankees’ rotation in question. If somehow, a deal does not get done before the start of the season, Gray could slot in as the Yankees’ swingman and work from both the rotation and the bullpen.
However, CC was cleared for baseball activities last week, giving Brian Cashman the go to begin heating up discussions on Gray again. Heyman reports that the Reds, Padres, Brewers, A’s, Padres, Mariners, and Braves have all shown interest so far. Gray is set to make $7.5M in 2019, so if the Yankees can pass that off to another team with a significant prospect or so in return, it would have to be looked at as a win.