Report: Rival evaluators believe Yankees will get solid return for Gray
Sonny Gray's disappointing 2018 season doesn't appear to have sapped his value around baseball.
Gray's struggles since joining the New York Yankees are well documented. He was relegated to the bullpen over the final months of 2018 following a dismal first half, and general manager Brian Cashman stated earlier this offseason that he's trying to trade the right-hander, who never seemed comfortable in the Bronx.
But Gray's subpar performance doesn't appear to have hurt his value on the market, as rival evaluators told ESPN's Buster Olney they believe New York should still get a good return for the right-hander thanks to his excellent road splits this past year.
While Gray's performance at Yankee Stadium was awful, and ultimately inflated his overall statistics, he looked far more like his old All-Star self on the road.
| Venue | GP | ERA | WHIP | K/BB | K/9 | HR | Opp. BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 15 | 6.98 | 1.90 | 45/35 | 6.8 | 11 | .318 |
| Road | 15 | 3.17 | 1.15 | 78/22 | 9.9 | 3 | .226 |
With no discernible change in his overall fastball velocity or strikeout numbers this year, his road splits indicate that teams will be trading for the Gray of old, who simply needs a change of scenery to re-establish himself.
It was reported earlier this month that around 11 teams have interest in Gray, including the Cincinnati Reds - who recently hired pitching coach Derek Johnson, his coach at Vanderbilt - and his former team, the Oakland Athletics.
Over the weekend, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported that the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins have also expressed interest in him.
The Seattle Mariners also apparently had eyes for Gray, as they reportedly asked the Yankees to include him alongside Justus Sheffield in the James Paxton trade, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Yankees balked at that request, however, in part because they suspected the Mariners wanted to flip Gray to another team; Sheffield ended up headlining the three-prospect package Seattle received.
Gray is about to enter his final year of arbitration eligibility, and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $9.1 million in 2019.