The New York Yankees are closing in on a deal that would send starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for multiple prospects.
The Yankees are currently loaded with pitching prospects and would be wise to add several infield options and youth development players.
In Sonny Gray talks, Yankees have shown interest in 2B prospect Shed Long and C prospect Tyler Stephenson from Reds, among others, who have a nice prospect list. A draft pick could also factor into a potential Sonny deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 18, 2019
Reports of the Bombers being interested in second-base prospect Shed Long and catcher Tyler Stephenson could certainly be justified. New York holds significant value with Gray, and trading him away for a minimum surely won’t be the case. If they can manage to extract several solid developmental players from a deep Reds farm-system, they could walk away with the better deal.
Additionally, the Yankees could also receive a potential draft choice, and we all know what a late round pick can mean at the professional level. Just ask Aaron Judge who was originally selected in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB draft by Oakland, later being taken at the No. 32 spot in the first by the Yankees in 2013.
All it takes is a few years to grow for a player to become one of the best in baseball, and adding some high-risk options could be a solid grab for general manager Brian Cashman.
How much value does Sonny Gray hold?
Despite finishing his Yankee career in a diminishing bullpen role, he is four-years removed from an All-Star caliber-season with a 2.73 ERA and two complete-game shutouts. Since then, his ERA hasn’t dipped below 3.43. His struggles have been obvious in a smaller stadium, as he’s a known fly-ball pitcher. The Reds might have a few tricks up their sleeves to help amend his mechanics and turn him into an effective pitcher once again.