Report: Mariners 'going for it,' may make run for Athletics' Gray
Sitting two games under .500 and in a dead heat for second in the American League West, the Seattle Mariners are in buy mode heading into the non-waiver trade deadline and could make a run for Sonny Gray, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
"(Jerry Dipoto) is going for it these next two years," Feinsand's source said. "If he is going for it, he might as well go completely in."
The 27-year-old Gray has factored into the rumor mill since before the 2017 season began, and the Oakland Athletics likely have many potential suitors for their right-handed ace. Gray is under team control until 2020 and is eligible for arbitration for the next two offseasons.
The Mariners already made a move to improve their pitching staff by acquiring right-handed reliever David Phelps last week. However, that does little in the way to improve the team's starting rotation, which ranks 24th in all of baseball by FanGraphs' WAR.
Of course, the Mariners farm system is also among the league's worst, without a single top-100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline - something the Athletics would likely command from potential suitors. That being said, Baseball America places both Kyle Lewis and Nick Neidert among their midseason top-100.
Gray has posted a 3.66 ERA and 3.38 FIP through 15 starts this season.