Teams DO like reformation projects. It's hard to imagine Sonny Gray as an Oakland A ever becoming a reformation project, but now that is what he will most likely be. As bad as Gray was in a Yankees uniform teams are still interested and we might be getting the first look at trade partners.
It sucks that Gray didn't work out for us. In retrospect though, I don't regret the move. The dominant Gray as an Oakland A was worth the gamble. If Gray would've had that dominance for us that pickup would've been epic. Now another team is going to take that same chance and odds are.....they will get the better Gray.
Teams out there are going to recognize how good Gray was on the road with his 3.17 ERA on the road. Sure, he sucked at home and his 6.98 ERA doesn't hide that but outside of Yankee stadium that can be salvaged. As ineffective as Gray was, the Yankees could get more in return for him than you think especially if you think he's only worth a bucket of balls.
According to Mark Feinsand here AT LEAST five teams have reached out to Brian Cashman about Gray. That's a lot of attention for a guy that was a big disappointment for us. So far, we know two specific teams who have Gray in their sights and I wouldn't be surprised if we hear more are interested as we get deeper into the offseason.
Oakland A's
No surprise here. The A's think their former ace could bounce back in familiar territory and less pressure. Who knows how much they would be willing to give up on a reformation project, but either way, the A's have a few starting pitchers that will miss considerable time at the start of the season thanks to injuries so he makes a lot of sense for them. He's a low risk but potential high reward especially going back to an environment he thrived in. At least we can assume Billy Beane didn't write a clause for no trade backs, right?
San Diego Padres
I am intrigued by the less obvious choice here. Do the Padres look at Gray to be a big piece to their rotation needs or just a piece to compliment another name they also go after? Either way the Padres are probably counting on Gray's ability to help a young staff grow. They have a lot of young talent who could be contenders within the next couple of years. A guy like Gray can help solidify their rotation now while giving their young talent time to season and would be an affordable option compared to other big names like Patrick Corbin or Nathan Eovaldi.
It's encouraging to hear the Gray's trade market may finally be coming together. I think Cashman was right, Gray is going to be a great pitcher just not with us. I wish him the best. Sometimes things just don't work out but this could be the best thing for him and for us. I wonder who the other three teams are....I'm sure we will find out soon enough.
--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj
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