Sonny Gray Deadline Drama - Why He Should Be Traded

Just a day before the MLB non-waiver trade deadline many big names are still on the market. One of those names is A's starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Gray is having one of his best years in his short major league career this season, where he has a .343 ERA in 97 innings. Gray has 3 years of club control and has reemerged as one of the better pitchers in the league this season. This deadline season the A's have been in contact with several teams, but the team who's ahead in the sweepstakes is the Yankees. The Yankees are in need of a starting pitcher even after acquiring Jamie Garcia from the Twins. Originally the A's were asking for either Yankees top prospect and #3 on MLB pipelines top 100 prospect list Gleyber Torres, despite him being on the DL right now with a torn ACL, or Yankees #2 prospect Clint Frazier who is currently with the Yankees in the majors. The Yankees, not wanting to part with either of their top 2 prospects have been entering a stage of negotiations where both teams are trying to get the other team to budge, making the deal in their favor. I personally feel that a deal for Gray has to be made before the deadline for both teams. The A's need to trade Gray because his value might be peeked right now. Many teams, the Yankees especially are in desperate need of a starting pitcher and Gray, who has 3 years of club control remaining after this season, making him very valuable on the market now. With big name pitchers like Mashairo Tanaka and Yu Darvish being potential free agents next year, Gray's potential is at its most right now at the deadline. The A's said they would hold onto Gray if the right deal isn't offered but that would probably be the worst decision the A's management could make. The A's are in a rebuilding process currently so Gray has very little value to them. He does however have value to certain teams right now who are one starter away from making a post season run. The Yankees specifically who have built up a prospect armada are willing to make a move right now. If they fold in the playoffs, or if another guy starts pitching really well and takes that spot that Gray would have, the A's lose out on 2 maybe even 3 solid prospects who one day could make a big impact. On the Yankees side of things they are in desperate need of a starting pitchers, and despite getting Jamie Garcia, they still might not be done yet if they want to make a post season run. The loss of pitcher Michael Pineda a few weeks ago had the potential to be crippling to the Yankees. Pineda has been one of their most consistent pitchers this season with a .439 ERA and an 8-4 and record. For the Yankees to still be in a race after this injury they needed to fill that role, and fast. As the deadline approached and teams started talking about moves that could be made, the Yankees quickly contacted the A's about Gray. This led to the Yankees being the only team in deep talks with the A's come the hours before the deadline. Combined with Grays control and the AL East being up for grabs, the Yankees need to make a move for Gray if they want to make the playoffs this year, and build a solid team for the next few years. The Yankees have the pieces to make a move for Gray, and the want for Gray is definitely there. If a deal for Gray isn't made it's a lost opportunity for not only the Yankees, but the A's as well.