Yankees can’t trade Sonny Gray quickly enough
The Yankees traded for Sonny Gray in the hopes he could become their ace. Now it’s clear that Brian Cashman can’t wait to get rid of him.
Some pitchers are blessed with the natural talent and mental toughness to thrive as a member of the New York Yankees. Sonny Gray is not one of those pitchers. As such, his days playing for the Yankees are numbered.
Brian Cashman made it very clear that Gray is on the trading block during Friday’s postseason press conference. The veteran GM didn’t pull any punches when he said the organization will be “open to a relocation” for Gray this winter. In other words, the Yankees are willing to sell Gray on the cheap.
None of this should be surprising to anyone who watched Gray pitch in pinstripes this season. Aaron Boone and company did everything they could to help him succeed, but he just couldn’t make anything positive happen. Gray wasn’t effective as a starter or reliever. He finished the campaign with an ERA of 4.90 in just over 130 innings of work.
Other teams might have been willing to give Gray to work his way back into the rotation during Spring Training, but that’s not how the Yankees operate. They demand excellent from pitchers who are given the multitude of opportunities that Gray has enjoyed during his time in the Bronx. It’s very clear he has no path towards redemption in pinstripes.
That means Gray is going to be available for the highest bidder this offseason. The Yankees shouldn’t expect to receive too much in return for their damaged right-hander. If Cashman can obtain either a legitimate prospect or a player capable of strengthening the Yankees bench next season he should jump on the opportunity. No one is going to pay a king’s ransom for a player who looked so lost on the mound during the 2018 season.
As it stands, Gray’s time in a Yankee uniform will almost certainly come to a merciful end sometime this winter. He’ll join the likes of Carl Pavano and Jeff Weaver as talented pitchers who came to New York with high expectations only to watch their careers crash and burn. Perhaps he’ll be able to rediscover his form somewhere else, but it’s unlikely he’s ever going to become an above-average starter again.
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In his absence, the Yankees will look to dip into the free agent market to obtain a superior replacement. Patrick Corbin will undoubtedly be one of Cashman’s top targets. Yankees fans will hope whoever is signed to fill Gray’s spot in the rotation has the strength to cope with the pressure of performing in New York.