Monday, January 21, 2019

The Sonny Gray Seige Finally Ends...

Photo Credit: New York Post (Paul J Bereswill)
Trade to Cincinnati is finally confirmed...

Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal (two sources!) brought great news to the Yankees Universe this afternoon with word the Sonny Gray trade with the Cincinnati Reds has been finalized.  Hallelujah!

LHP Reiver Sanmartin will accompany Gray to Cincinnati as part of the trade.  Martin was acquired from the Texas Rangers in November 2017 in a minor trade that sent RHP Ronald Herrera to the Rangers.  Martin was most recently with the Double A Tampa Tarpons.

As expected, the Yankees receive second baseman Shed Long and a competitive balance draft pick.  For more information on Shed Long, please see the Meet A Prospect posted earlier today by Daniel Burch.

Oops, scratch that.  Passan is reporting the Seattle Mariners are involved in the trade which will send Long to the Great Northwest.  Centerfield prospect Josh Stowers, currently rated as the Number 10 prospect for the Mariners by MLB.com, will head to the Bronx.  The 21-year-old Stowers spent last season with the Everett (WA) AquaSox (A Short).  He played 58 games, hitting 5 homers and 28 RBIs in 200 at-bats.  His batting line was .260/.380/.410 with .790 OPS. Stowers was Seattle's 2nd round pick (54th overall) in last year's MLB Draft.

Photo Credit: MiLB.com (Shari Sommerfield)
If true, this does free up a spot on the 40-man roster as Adam Ottavino, once his signing is official, will simply take Gray's spot.  While Long was on Cincinnati's 40-man roster, Stowers is a couple of years away before he needs to be protected.  Luis Cessa lives to see another day.

Per Rosenthal, Gray's extension with the Reds is for three years at $30.5 million.  He was already scheduled to receive $7.5 million for the upcoming season so the extension kicks in with the 2020 season, essentially giving the Reds four years of control.  The extension includes a club option for 2023 at $12 million.  Rosenthal indicated all salaries can grow based on numerous escalators.  There is also an incentive of $500,000 per year if Gray reaches a minimum number of innings pitched in each given year.

I think this is a great deal for Sonny Gray and his family.  He has financial security and will not have to face the gloomy free agent market next fall.  He gets to play in a lower-pressurized environment and he has a very good chance to rebuild his image through better performance.

I am so thankful the Sonny Gray Era has ended.  We can finally move on with our lives.

2 comments:

  1. The Open Window...of Opportunity.

    It is open now for this years Yankee squad. But, for how long ?
    One year...two ? Who knows.

    What I do know is...The Sox will fight to the end. They are the champions
    who trashed last year vaunted Yankee team. Easily.

    This year, and ties don't count, I see no clear advantage.
    Boston built a wall..and it's paid for...'The Green Monster'.
    And,their line-up is full of RH power. Commonsense ? Yes.

    The short porch, the Trojan horse, with Erectile Disfunction sits
    in 12 degree weather.... on this January night. Sighing.
    The great Sox counter punch is now a joke.
    ..8
    Not counting Gardner, the only LH bat is switch hitter...Hicks.
    Go ahead, and read it again. Jesus !

    Bryce Harper will give you 40+ HR a year, for years. 8 x 40= 320. Yeah.
    And, maybe begin to balance the line-up as well.
    There he sits at 26 years of age. Do it ! Advantage...now, Yankees!

    Don't let that closing window hit you in the ass.

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  2. Awesome post St. Patrick. I couldn't agree with you more. Typical Hal aka Coupon Clipper who has a 3.5 Billion dollar empire and he sits there counting his sheckles. George understood that reinvestment in the product would bring back revenue.

    His $10 Million dollar purchase from CBS has paid off and then some. We have positioned ourselves to rely on a SS who hasn't played in years and will trip across the whitelines and end up on the DL. We have a RF porch that is crying the name of Harper. The elf built this team to be HR driven, yet you leave the purest HR hitter on the market at the train station with no 7 train in site. It boggles my mind that this owner is such a cheap bastard.

    This team did not get better. I don't want to hear that we resigned Happ and we resigned Britton. We added a Lladro at SS and we added a Lefty starting pitcher who also happens to be fragile. We resigned the best 230 power hitter in Girlie Boy Gardner and CC the DL is waiting for me. Don't give me the BS about leadership.

    They will both be gone the year after so what is the excuse then? It's a joke the prices we pay to go to the games, the cable fees and licensing fees and so on, yet the Coupon Clipper laughs all the way to the bank.

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