New York Yankees Receive Quality Prospect In Sonny Gray Trade – Who Is He?

Feb. 22, 2018; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman minor leaguer Shed Long (75) tags up at first base at the Cincinnati Reds training complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Yankees traded former starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Cincinnati Reds in return for a second-base prospect and a high draft pick, but who is the player and what does he offer to a youthful team?

Shed Long, the piece that will come over in the Gray trade, is a legitimate prospect that could be of use down the line for a defensively unstable infield.

Long is 23-years-old who has demonstrated his talents at the plate in the minors so far, slashing .261/.353/.412 (120 wRC+) last season in Double-A ball. Receiving a player of this potential quality is impressive given what Gray has offered the Yanks the past 11/2 years. He finished 2018 with an ERA of 4.90, allowing 14 homers and 138 hits in 130 innings, averaging over one-hit per inning. A steep drop-off from what a dominant start to his career with the Oakland Athletics – 2.73 ERA on 2015.

Gray is a known fly-ball pitcher that struggles in smaller stadiums, which is likely why his talents didn’t translate to the Bronx.

Why the Yankees should be cautiously optimistic with the exchange:

While Long has displayed enough quality to offer reason for optimism, he has struggled with strikeouts (23.6% in 2018) and his defensive abilities don’t make him a sure-fire second-baseman. It’s possible the Yankees try to move him to an outfield position and utilize his skills in a more reserved way.

Having capable depth is always a positive, especially with a player like Gleyber Torres who’s still so young and featuring at second-base. If he were to suffer an injury or need time off, Long could fill his role as a stop-gap, offering him valuable experience at the professional stage.

It seems as if Long still requires a solid amount of development before he cn be a regular in the MLB, but he’s certainly trending in the right direction.