One of the biggest names on the trade market is on the move. According to a report, the Oakland Athletics have traded Sonny Gray to the New York Yankees.
Source: Sonny Gray will be traded to the Yankees.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) July 31, 2017
The Athletics will certainly get a lot of young talent back there way.
Source: Gray to Yankees done. Fowler, Mateo, Kaprelian coming back.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2017
But Gray is far from a rental. He has two more arbitration years left before becoming a free agent in 2020.
At his best, Gray is a front-line starter. From 2013-2015, he was one of baseball’s best, accumulating a 2.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 3.36 FIP, with 419 strikeouts in 491 innings. In 2016, though, Gray suffered through inconsistency and injuries, posting a 5.69 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.67 FIP, with 94 strikeouts in 117 innings.
The 2017 season has brought a dramatic turnaround for Gray, though. He’s compiled a solid 3.43 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 3.24 FIP, with 94 strikeouts in 97 innings.
If Gray can maintain that level, he can easily be one of the top starters for the Yankees over the final two months of the season and into the playoffs.