Yankees: Asking price for Sonny Gray preventing trade

The Yankees continue to shop Sonny Gray but they’ll need to decrease the asking price in order to find a suitable trade partner.

The Yankees clearly think highly of Gray, even after his miserable season in 2018. Though the team doesn’t want to keep the former All-Star, they won’t give him away for free. Recently, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that the Yankees are looking for a sizable return in a potential trade for Gray.

“The Yankees asked the Reds for outfielder Taylor Trammell, whom MLB.com has ranked as the 17th-best prospect in the majors.”

Wisely, the Reds turned down the deal. Based on Gray’s performance throughout the  2018 season, he’s not worth a prospect of Trammell’s caliber. Asking for one, frankly, seems ludicrous. Gray posted an unsightly 6.98 ERA at Yankee Stadium a season ago. While he did perform much better on the road with a 3.17 ERA, other teams shouldn’t be chomping at the bit to overpay for his services.

By August 2, manager Aaron Boone moved Gray to the bullpen, which is one of the clearest indications of a pitcher’s struggles (and the coaches’ lack of confidence in him.) To be fair, Gray, in some ways, has been excessively criticized. Everyone focuses on his struggles in the Big Apple. But a deeper look at his statistics on his ESPN profile makes it easy to see why some teams want to give him another chance.

Before the All-Star break, Gray’s ERA stood at 5.46. But he pitched much better baseball in the second half with a 3.63 ERA after the break. Gray had a particularly solid month of September so many teams are choosing to look at the glass half-full when it comes to this Yankees pitcher.

General manager Brian Cashman should get a decent return when he finds a trade partner for Gray. He’s a talented player, a former All-Star and he’s only 29 years old. In sports, reclamation projects constantly find success, so, especially in the short term, Gray’s struggles shouldn’t define him.

The Padres and the Reds remain two logical fits for the starting pitcher’s services. Any team desperate for a starter and willing to gamble on a former All-Star should be considered a candidate.

But no one will want to give away premium talent for a pitcher whose professional reputation has soured a bit. Baseball, like most sports, is driven by the question, “what have you done for me lately?” In Gray’s case, the answer can be found in his mediocre 2018 season, whether it’s considered on the whole or by the strong finish.

But, as explained by George A. King III, the Yankees are getting in their own way. Cashman is reportedly seeking everything from elite prospects to quality major league players. Hopefully, the asking price will come down eventually.

The Bronx Bombers don’t have the leverage in these negotiations. The addition of James Paxton and the resigning of J.A. Happ has made Gray more expendable than ever.