Thursday, July 27, 2017

The Athletics Reportedly Want Too Damn Much for Sonny Gray


Ladies and gentleman, good morning. The July 31st trading deadline goes down, including today, in a mere five days with the deadline coming at 4:00 pm ET on July 31st. The New York Yankees seem ready to strike and be prime buyers in the market and teams like the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and Miami Marlins to name a few are simply salivating at the chance to get their hands on some of the Yankees top prospects. This thought process and these fantasies about having some of the Yankees farm hands inside their own organization has obviously made some teams go absolutely crazy, reportedly anyway, including the Oakland Athletics. Excuse my mouth, my use of slang terminology and my intentional typographical error here but the asking price for Sonny Gray and Yonder Alonso is just tew damn much!! Keep reading.

Now like most of these reports, opinions and stories during this time of the year this report is pure speculation on my part and has been rumored across the internet from other credible news sources. This did not come out of the mouth of either the Yankees GM or the Athletics GM as far as I have heard so keep that in mind before directing the hate mail to the comments section, to Twitter (shameless plus @GreedyStripes… follow us) or to our email. Thanks.

The Athletics have been scouting various levels of the Yankees minor league system over the past week or so and three names have been mentioned more so than any in a potential deal for Sonny Gray and/or Yonder Alonso. Reportedly the Athletics have their eyes on center fielder and former shortstop Jorge Mateo, right-handed pitcher Domingo Acevedo and center fielder Estevan Florial. Now while I understand you have to give a little to get a little and subsequently you generally have to give a lot to get a lot but still. That’s a lot for a first baseman rental and an injury-prone, albeit young and controllable, right-handed starting pitcher if you ask me.

Scouts have had nothing but great things to say about Mateo since being moved to center field and not just because of his speed. Scouts have mentioned that Mateo picked up the position much faster than anyone intended and has also shown an instinct for the position that most don’t this early in the development stage. Meanwhile Florial’s stock is flying after making the XM All-Star Futures Game in 2017 while Acevedo and his 103 MPH fastball have been turning heads around the league for years now. There has also been talks of the Yankees having to include a fourth prospect in the deal to make it work and to provide a comparable package to the one the Chicago White Sox got for Jose Quintana and the names of Freicer Perez (Low-A Ball pitcher) and Albert Abreu have been the names most mentioned in the potential deal.

Again, I think this is quite the price to pay for Gray. If the Yankees pay the price then I truly do understand their thought process behind it and I wouldn’t necessarily be upset. None of these prospects are close to the Major Leagues and literally none of them could conceivably make the Major Leagues at any point in their careers. A lot can happen between then and now. Meanwhile Gray is controlled through the 2019 season and could fill in for a team that could potentially lose Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka after the 2017 campaign. Pineda is done with Tommy John surgery and Sabathia is a free agent at season’s end while Tanaka has an opt-out clause written into his contract that looks less and less likely that he will take with every start he takes. Gray could give the Yankees the stability they need not only this season but for seasons to come, all for the price of some Low-A and High-A Ball players and Double-A Trenton players.


It makes sense from a baseball standpoint but it’s just tough as a fan to watch these players grow and then get traded but that’s all I am, a fan. A fan with a blog. I never claimed to be an expert nor am I an insider. Nor do I want to be for the record. I like things the way they are now. That’s just where the disconnect comes in I guess so if the Yankees do make this trade, I get it. I personally just think it’s too much for Gray and Alonso but maybe it’s just me. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below or tweet them to us @GreedyStripes. Thanks again. 

5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I'm not a huge Sonny Gray fan, but when healthy the guy is a #2 starter at worst. Yes, he had some injury struggles last season and to start this season, but he has made 16 starts this season (same number as CC) as well as 33 and 31 starts in 2014 and 2015. What I'm saying is that it's not hard to scoff at the idea that he's injury prone.

    The fact that he's under team control for two more years beyond this is also a great feature. Even if Tanaka returns, there are two holes in the rotation left by CC and Pineda. I would like to see Adams take one of those, but I'm not sure about another rookie doing so. I can see a rotation of Tanaka, Gray, Severino, Montgomery, and Adams on Opening Day 2018.

    The price? Not cheap, but is it really that bad? I don't think so.

    Jorge Mateo - A man without a spot. The OF already has Frazier and Judge. Fowler is clearly the next youngster that will get a shot out there. And Bryce Harper is not too far away. The infield has Didi through 2019, Castro through '19 or '20 (team option), and Torres for six years. Why hold onto a guy that can't help the team now and for a couple more years?

    Esteven Florial - even if he continues to kill it while moving up the farm system, where will he play? There's one OF spot open for a long time thanks to Clint and Aaron, and that spot I'd love to see go to Harper (is there an echo in here?).

    Domingo Acevedo - This is the part that hurts me, but it really comes down to having Gray or Acevedo. The guy that's done "it" for years already in MLB, or the guy that COULD do it in MLB in a couple years? Besides, the rotation needs to be settled before he may even show up, meaning he too could be blocked from a starting role. And that would leave us where?

    Oh, and Alonso would be a great upgrade for this year's team, which surprisingly has a chance to do something in the postseason.

    Besides, having Gray allows the team to spend for a Tanaka or Darvish in the offseason without a problem, while creating an absolutely killer 1-2-3 in the rotation.

    I wouldn't be crushed if it doesn't happen, as I'm not sold this team has a great shot at going far in the postseason, but the fact that it helps a questionable rotation for two more years makes me say "yes".

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  3. I agree with the price. Prospects are hit or miss. Regardless of how high they're ranked. Mateo might not ever even make it. Florial is too far out to accurately project. And both pitchers might blow their arm out tomorrow. I would trade four prospects For Gray alone. Calling a pitcher with one injury riddled campaign an injury prone pitcher is unfair. Now that Kershaw is on the DL, is he injury prone?

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  4. I am in agreement with both Bryan and Jeff. The AL East can be won...this is not just about the opportunity to play a one and done wild card game. The only true absolutes in the starting rotation going into 2018 are Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery. Everyone else is a question mark. Bringing in a starter with a #2 floor is hard to do and would be invaluable for the rotation as the Yankees look to rebuild it for 2018 through youth and/or other off-season acquisitions. Pull the trigger and get Sonny Gray here pronto!

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  5. SONNY GRAY....The name started surfacing last season regarding
    the Yankees. So tempting. So expensive.

    Not going to rehash the players rumored to be packaged. Old news, but
    a very strong offer with Mateo & Acevedo & Florial. Very strong.

    What do I think ?....No,it will not happen. Forget the spin.

    A deal WILL happen. Perhaps a lesser package for Darvish, or a name
    that will surprise.
    Those are my thoughts.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)