The New York Yankees look poised to make another splash before Monday afternoon’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.
The Yankees, who already acquired three key pieces from the Chicago White Sox, might be on the verge of securing starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
According to reports, a deal doesn’t yet sound imminent or close to done, but the two teams have been linked for quite a while now. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported Monday morning, citing a source, the two teams are “close enough to get over the hump” on a deal that would send Gray to the Bronx.
This comes on the heels of FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweeting Sunday night that he thinks the deal is “still seen as more likely than not.” He also reported earlier in the day Sunday that the two teams were exchanging names and that the clubs were optimistic the deal would get done.
Crasnick cautioned — in his own words — that a deal would “take some compromise,” but as the deadline has gotten closer, it seems fewer teams have been connected to Oakland and Gray.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman had this interesting note, though, after speaking with an AL official:
“I don’t think this is like when George (Steinbrenner) was in charge,” the official told Sherman. “I think Cash has a (prospect) price in his mind that he is willing to give up (for Gray), and even if you told him (Gray) was going to Boston, I don’t think he would flinch.”
So as close as a deal might seem, it also appears there’s plenty of posturing for both clubs to do before the 4 p.m. deadline.
Gray, who battled injuries and inconsistency in 2016, is having a fine bounce-back season. He’s striking out more batters per nine innings than he has for his career, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio also is better than his career mark.
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports Images
