The Yankees have a big problem and his name is Sonny Gray. The solution for what to do with the struggling starter is surprisingly simple for Aaron Boone.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, no player has made a bigger impact on the AL East race than Sonny Gray this season. New York is 7-10 when Gray starts the game on the mound compared to 51-19 when he doesn’t. That disparity counts a lot when you consider the reality that the Yankees only trail the Red Sox by two games in the division.
The team’s poor record in Gray’s starts is not a statistical anomaly. He’s been awful. Gray’s ERA of 5.85 in his 17 starts might actually be a bit flattering. The former A’s right hander looks completely lost out on the mound. Yankees fans are understandably sick and tired of hearing his apologies in post-game press conferences.
Despite his putrid performance, Boone continues to stick with him. He’s scheduled to start another game against the Orioles on Wednesday. The Yankees manager claims his team doesn’t have any better options. That isn’t going to be true much longer.
The return of Masahiro Tanaka from the DL will give Boone a legitimate opportunity to remove Gray from the starting rotation. Domingo German’s solid six innings of work against the Blue Jays yesterday should be enough to place him over Gray in the Yankees’ pecking order. Simply put, Tanaka should take Gray’s place in the rotation once he comes off the shelf.
That doesn’t mean Gray should be designated for assignment. Despite his obvious struggles this season, he has too much of a successful track record to give up on. A 28-year-old pitcher with a career ERA of just 3.68 isn’t someone you throw in the garbage. The right move would be to send Gray to the Yankees bullpen to give him some work in low-pressure situations.
The other reasonable option would be to bring Justus Sheffield up from AAA. The team’s front office is trying to let him build up his innings pitched in the minors, but this division race is too close for such luxuries. The talented lefty doesn’t have the experience you’d like to utilize in a race for the postseason, but his talent is too much to deny.
Lastly, the Yankees could always make a deal for another arm ahead of the deadline. Brian Cashman insists the price is too high for a big move at the moment, but lots of things can change in the next several weeks. If a new starter is brought to the Bronx, Gray certainly should lose his spot in the rotation.
Next: Why are the Yankees sticking with Sonny Gray?
The clear path forward for Gray is to get him some innings out of the bullpen where he might be able to rebuild his confidence. Simply leaving him in the rotation and hoping for improved results is madness. It’s the kind of nonsensical move that could cost the Yankees the AL East crown.