Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray is one of the most coveted arms currently on the market with less than a week remaining until Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
While teams like the Houston Astros have emerged as favorites to sign the right-hander, a new team has emerged as a leading contender.
A source informed MLB Network’s Jon Morosi that the New York Yankees could be a preferred trade partner of the Athletics should they trade Gray.
It looks as though the team is looking to add young outfielder prospects and the Yankees have a big one in Estevan Florial.
Currently playing in single-A Charleston, the 19-year-old center fielder is batting .293 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 86 games. Florial is currently ranked as the Yankees’ fifth-best prospect in the minors by MLB Pipeline.
The addition of Gray would give the Yankees’ a pretty imposing top of the rotation. Luis Severino and C.C. Sabathia have carried the load while Masahiro Tanaka’s inconsistent season has left something to be desired. On top of that, Michael Pineda’s injury woes have left New York relying on Luis Cessa and Caleb Smith for spot starts.
Gray brings a bona fide arm to the rotation that would round out the rotation nicely as they near their stretch run for the postseason.
The 27-year-old has two years of arbitration before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2020. This season, he is 6-4 with a 3.66 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 91 innings.
