Sonny Gray's destination was finalized less than an hour before the trading deadline Monday: He's headed to the New York Yankees, jumping from last-place Oakland right inton the heart of a heated pennant race.Gray was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for minor league outfielder Dustin Fowler, shortstop Jorge Mateo and right-handed pitcher James Kaprelian.Sonny Gray is 6-5 with a 3.43 ERA this season. 
It's a significant prospect haul for the A's, although one that will have little immediate impact on the Yankees: Fowler (patellar tendon) and Kaprelian (Tommy John surgery) will not play again until 2017.Then again, Gray was worthy of a big return package.This season, Gray boasts a 3.43 ERA with 94 strikeouts while striking out 8.7 per innings pitched . And while that may look unremarkable on the surface, his recent performances paint a different picture. Through his last six starts, Gray has posted a 1.37 ERA with 36 strikeouts, all while giving up just two home runs.At first glance, it seems the new Yankees right-hander can transition seamlessly into New York's pitching staff.Gray joins Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Mike Montgomery and CC Sabathia in the rotation - and those first three arms provide a solid foundation for the 2018 rotation, too. Gray, 27, is far from a rental arm – he isn’t set to become a free agent until 2020 – and New York gets him at a reasonable price too, as he’s earning $3.575 million this season, witht a decent raise due this winter in arbitration.This is the second major trade the Yankees pulled off this month. Earlier, they acquired third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the Chicago White Sox.
It's a significant prospect haul for the A's, although one that will have little immediate impact on the Yankees: Fowler (patellar tendon) and Kaprelian (Tommy John surgery) will not play again until 2017.Then again, Gray was worthy of a big return package.This season, Gray boasts a 3.43 ERA with 94 strikeouts while striking out 8.7 per innings pitched . And while that may look unremarkable on the surface, his recent performances paint a different picture. Through his last six starts, Gray has posted a 1.37 ERA with 36 strikeouts, all while giving up just two home runs.At first glance, it seems the new Yankees right-hander can transition seamlessly into New York's pitching staff.Gray joins Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Mike Montgomery and CC Sabathia in the rotation - and those first three arms provide a solid foundation for the 2018 rotation, too. Gray, 27, is far from a rental arm – he isn’t set to become a free agent until 2020 – and New York gets him at a reasonable price too, as he’s earning $3.575 million this season, witht a decent raise due this winter in arbitration.This is the second major trade the Yankees pulled off this month. Earlier, they acquired third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the Chicago White Sox.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
