If anything was made clear this offseason, it’s that the New York Yankees and Sonny Gray will be cutting ties. The question is, what will they get in return?
In just one season, Sonny Gray’s time in the Bronx went from sunny to completely gray. The New York Yankees thought they were getting an ace when they made the trade in the summer of 2017.
Instead, what followed was a massive disappointment for the Yankees. Gray went from a prized acquisition to a player who was booed every time fans saw his face in the dugout.
What a fall from grace for Gray, who had himself a pretty impressive career in Oakland before trekking cross-country to make his debut in pinstripes.
This offseason, reports have surfaced that the Yankees are getting tons of nibbles on the righty. In fact, Brian Cashman threw out the number 11 to reporters when asked about teams that were interested in Gray. So far, nothing has happened and Sonny Gray is still in pinstripes. If there are so many offers out there, why haven’t the Yankees bit on anything?
11 teams have expressed interest in Sonny Gray, Brian Cashman said.
"Some have involved bigger deals, some have involved easy prospect-driven deals. Some are Major League need-for-need type things. He's still here because we haven't found that sweet spot yet."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 11, 2018
Okay, so maybe they haven’t found the sweet spot for a pitcher like Gray. Many guess that the Yankees for asking for far too much in return for Gray. That opinion came when Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported that the Yankees asked for one of the top Cincinnati Reds prospects in exchange for Gray.
Are the Yankees aiming too high with their asking price for Gray? Not in the least. In fact, they are absolutely right in trying to get a suitable return for Gray.
Most people are scoffing at the fact that it’s taken the Yankees so long to get Gray out of the Bronx and hope to give him away for practically peanuts. Well, what they don’t realize is while Sonny Gray didn’t necessarily perform to the best of his abilities in the Bronx, in the right market he will be an ace again.
The Bronx spotlight might have been a little too big for him to handle, as Gray constantly looked uncomfortable on the mound. He also received heat from the fans for exiting one of his poor performances in the Bronx with a huge smile on his face.
However, in a team in a smaller market, he would be just fine. That’s why he excelled in Oakland because he wasn’t scrutinized for his every move like he has been in New York. He clearly felt more comfortable with a small-market team and that’s where he is likely hoping to land.
With a small-market team, Gray is going to be an ace. Because of that potential in a different market, the Yankees should be asking for a pretty hefty return. While he couldn’t have been an ace in New York, he has the skills and pitches to excel in a city like Cincinnati or even Milwaukee.
Fans can’t take his performance in the Bronx as an indicator of the player he is and the pitcher he can be when he’s in the right environment. Of course, we all wished the Yankees had received the Oakland version of Gray but learned the hard way that it was not meant to be.
If the Yankees trade Gray for a small return, they will be getting fleeced. Sure, they’ll have Gray off of their hands but they wouldn’t be able to collect for what he’s really worth.
Whatever team ends up with Sonny Gray will be getting a pretty solid pitcher, despite his numbers last season. The Yankees know that he’s not worth much to them but to another team, he is worth his weight in gold.
