The New York Yankees are preparing to send their struggling starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Cincinnati Reds. The deal would include infield (second-base) prospect Shed Long and a future draft pick. There’s potential for a lesser piece that could be included to the Yankees’ benefit.
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
There seems to be plenty of reason for optimism in regard to Long, as he’s a quality hitter and a decent defender. Last season he had a batting average of .251, which doesn’t jump off the page. He did finished 2016 with a .293 BA and 2017 with .281. Those are more attractive numbers for the infielder.
A good deal for the Yankees:
New York will walk away with a draft pick and a solid prospect to add to their farm system. Gray finished up last season with a 4.90 ERA allowing 138 hits and 14 homers. The pitcher is a known fly-ball artist which didn’t bode well in a smaller Yankee stadium with a short right-porch.
With the acquisition of starter James Paxton, trading away Gray doesn’t damage the rotation. Ridding the team of a struggling player will only benefit the team as a whole and allow the rotation to operate seamlessly with no speed-bumps.