The Chicago Cubs made a bold trade to land Jose Quintana on Thursday, but they are reportedly still be looking to land Sonny Gray.
According to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, there’s a very good reason for this, too.
Sources: #Cubs continuing to show interest in Sonny Gray, even after Jose Quintana trade. One reason: Vacancy still remains in '18 rotation.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 14, 2017
If the Cubs do want Gray, they’d better make a move fast. It’s been reported that NL Central foe Milwaukee is also interested in Gray.
The Oakland A’s are likely in the mood to sell, too. It’s something of an annual tradition over there, and it helps that the A’s are one of the worst teams in the American League through the first half. If the Cubs make them a strong offer, then we don’t foresee much standing in the way of a deal.
To this point in the season, Gray has a 4-4 record with a 4.00 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 25 walks in 13 starts. He’s allowed eight home runs and is certainly not having his best season as a pro. However, one has to imagine he’d get a bit of fire in his belly to sharpen up his game if a trade were made that sent him to a contending team.
The Cubs haven’t exactly played like contenders to this point in the 2017 campaign. At the All-Star break they have a 43-45 record and are 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. A World Series hangover effect, if we’ve ever seen one. On top of that, pitching has been a problem, as Chicago often finds itself behind before the first inning is over.
Adding Quintana certainly will help. Adding Gray would be another strong move to help Chicago get back to its championship form.