Yankees, Reds Finalizing Trade Involving Sonny Gray

Yankees starting pitcher Sonny Gray pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Photo credit USA TODAY Images
By WFAN.com

The Yankees and Reds are finalizing a trade that would send pitcher Sonny Gray to Cincinnati, WFAN baseball insider Jon Heyman reported.

If the deal goes through, the Bombers would receive infield prospect Shed Long and one or two other players, according to Heyman. 

Yankees and #Reds are getting closer on a Sonny Gray trade. Teams are talking about two prospects and a draft pick going for Sonny. One of 2B prospect Shed Long and C prospect Tyler Stephenson may go. #SFGiants, Braves, Brewers are on periphery. A deal should happen this weekend.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 19, 2019

The Yankees acquired Gray in a July 2017 trade from Oakland, but he struggled so much last season that he was demoted to the bullpen and then left off the postseason roster.

The right-hander pitched in 30 games (23 starts) in 2018, going 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA. 

Just after the Yankees were eliminated in the playoffs last season, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made it clear he was looking to deal Gray. 

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"It hasn't worked out thus far," Cashman told WFAN in October. "I think he's extremely talented. I think that we'll enter the winter, unfortunately, open-minded to a relocation. I think to maximize his abilities, it would be more likely best somewhere else."

Gray is due $7.5 million in 2019 and then will become a free agent next winter.

Long, 23, is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Reds' system, according to MLB Pipeline. Playing for the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos last season, Long hit .261 with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs. The 5-foot-8-inch, left-handed hitter was the Reds' 12th-round draft pick in 2013. He has predominantly played second base the last few years.