Bleeding Yankee Blue: COULD SONNY GRAY BE TRADED?

Sunday, July 15, 2018

COULD SONNY GRAY BE TRADED?

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A year ago we were looking for starting pitching nearing the trade deadline and a year later, we are still looking. The pitcher we picked up might be the one we are dealing away on or before July 31st. According to Jon Heyman, "Some believe the Yankees will consider trading Sonny Gray a year after acquiring him. He has struggled this year, and especially so at Yankee Stadium. Some believe it's either the stadium, or the city, that doesn't agree with him, and that he'd do much better elsewhere." But if we trade him, potentially to the Milwaukee Brewers who have his old pitching coach on the payroll, who do we pick up?

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The Yankees are showing some interest in Mets starter Zack Wheeler among the other guys they have already established connections to like J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels. They also have renewed interest in San Diego's Brad Hand and Orioles Zach Britton, to provide more power to the bull pen.

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Zack Wheeler is healthy for the first time in four years. And he is throwing hard and fast. "Wheeler, 28, owns a 4.42 ERA in 17 starts this season. While that ERA doesn't jump off the charts, Wheeler appears healthy, is throwing hard and sports a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 3.70. If the Yankees think his stuff will continue to lead to success, a possible upgrade for the stretch run can likely be had without surrendering a haul," reports NJ.com.

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The Brewers also have an interest in Wheeler. We did well in our trade with another pitcher from Milwaukee, and he is still with us today. That guy is CC Sabathia and who knows what kind of trade combination could yield us some starting pitcher to replace Gray and support Masahiro Tanaka and the rest of the staff?

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We are a day away from the All Star Break and with guys like Greg Bird, Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius heating up, I almost don't want to break the momentum. Post-All Star, I hope we see Gleyber Torres back in the lineup, and a shake up in starting pitching. Could Sonny Gray be someone else's problem the second half of the season? I hope so, as long as there is someone else ready to play ball in pinstripes with the guts and grit we need to carry us to the post season.