MLB Rumors: Sonny Gray might be a solid alternative to Blake Snell

Sonny Gray of the Cincinnati Reds reportedly could be on the trade block. If so, he might be a solid alternative for those who miss out on Blake Snell.

It has been reported that Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays, starting pitcher and former AL Cy Young Award winner, is on the trade block. He’s been getting a lot of attention in recent days, as we’ve broken down potential landing spots for him. However, another big starting pitcher may be on the move, though this one hasn’t received as much attention.

According to Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic (subscription required), the Cincinnati Reds are open to trading right-hander Sonny Gray. Gray, 31, went 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 11 starts in 2020. For his career, which has covered the Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, and currently the Reds, he owns 75 wins and a 3.54 ERA.

For any team that misses out on Snell, Gray might be a solid alternative. Gray is currently signed to an affordable three-year deal worth a little over $10 million for each of the next two seasons along with a team option of $12 million for 2023.

You might be wondering why the Reds would trade Gray after they had an all-in offseason last year, which led to an appearance in the expanded playoffs, and now appear to be on the verge of losing another top starting pitcher in Trevor Bauer.

Cincinnati may feel that, given his team-friendly contract, now might be a good time to try to cash in on him and perhaps get some young talent in return. Though they’re in a weak division, perhaps they feel they missed their chance last year and want to do some retooling.

Again, the report only says that they are open to trading him, as nothing appears imminent right now. However, as for the possible destinations we’ve covered for Snell, those same places would appear to be contenders for Gray. The Angels, for example, desperately need pitching. Would they be willing to give up top outfield prospect Jo Adell and/or Brandon Marsh in order to add him? Some might think that would be too costly.

It will be interesting to see whether anything comes of this or not, but for now, keep an eye on Sonny Gray as a pitcher who may be on the move along with Blake Snell. Gray would certainly be a nice addition to almost any team’s starting rotation.