Where does Sonny Gray wind up at the end of the week?

[disarcina]

Who gets the big deadline deal prize? SONNY GRAY?

Pitching much better these days and is signed through at least 2018 and perhaps a year after that.

A's likely to deal him to get several MLB ready younger players 'under club control for 4 to 5 years' to control their payroll costs.

Yankees perhaps the best bet?  Kershaw is going to be placed on the DL -- reports say 'indefinite time table' --so LA Dodgers in the mix?

Washington Nats?  Fragile Strasburg went down again today.

I think A's and Billy Beane are staring straight ahead at a SELLER's market........Someone's going to over-pay.

[disarcina]

I could see Billy Beane stringing this thing out and waiting until Monday (July 30) or Tuesday (July 31) to gain leverage and extract the best combination of MLB ready players and prospects.

With Sonny Gray under contract for next year, I could also see Billy Beane pulling back telling teams he's willing to keep Gray if he can't get what he wants -- and buyers trying to play his bluff only to find out -- Beane meant it.

[Ohtaniland]

I don't think Gray will be going anywhere until next year at this time.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I believe that he's gone at the trade deadline, but probably not much before. Disar has laid out most of the major contenders for his services.

[totdprods]

I'm still pegging Angels as dark horse candidates. Don't think it will happen. Verlander I think could be a target too. 

Think it'll be the Astros or Brewers that land Gray. Rangers will eventually cave as the Yanks, Cubs, and Dodgers fight over Darvish. 

[ettin]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

I'm still pegging Angels as dark horse candidates. Don't think it will happen. Verlander I think could be a target too. 

Think it'll be the Astros or Brewers that land Gray. Rangers will eventually cave as the Yanks, Cubs, and Dodgers fight over Darvish. 

Agree with totdprods here regarding likely destinations. Also I don't think he is the prize of the market to be honest (at least in terms of quality). In terms of impact to a team I would have rated Darvish, Quintana, and Martinez higher.

[disarcina]

well, except for Darvish among those listed in the post above , I'm referencing players still on the board.

I agree Quintana and Martinez were top 'gets' but so is Sonny Gray, Britton and of course, Darvish.

Verlander brings an injury plagued recent past plus a huge contract with him -- so it's going to have to be the Yankees or the Dodgers for him.

I don't see the Angels in the Sonny Gray mix and I don't think Billy Beane would trade him to a division rival with that much time left on his contract. So unless it's Trout going the other way (yeah - that would happen - A's can't afford Trout's contract and Angels wouldn't trade him) - I don't see it.............if i were Beane I might settle for A. Simmons, Bedrosian and a back of the rotation starter -- perhaps even Nolasco (but his contract is up this year - right? he's not going to hit the magic IP mark to exercise the player option -- so probably not him) -- Meyer? 

I am not for such a trade, but might make sense from A's standpoint --particularly if Angels would pick up part of Simmons' contract.  - again, I think Simmons is a tremendous player and a guy to build a team around.........

[totdprods]

8 hours ago, disarcina said:

Verlander brings an injury plagued recent past plus a huge contract with him -- so it's going to have to be the Yankees or the Dodgers for him.

I don't see the Angels in the Sonny Gray mix and I don't think Billy Beane would trade him to a division rival with that much time left on his contract. 

Regarding Verlander, I think his salary will actually scare off teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs. They certainly could afford his contract - but I don't think that's what they want. All the impetus is on younger, controlled players. That's where those teams are trying to focus their dollars. The Cubs were rumored heavily with Verlander a week ago or so when the Quintana deal went down. Ultimately they preferred to spend prospects and return youth. I think that same mindset will align with the Yankees and Dodgers. They have the prospect currency to go for younger players than Verlander and it fits their teams better.

The Angels on the other hand have a need for vet stability and innings and have ample payroll to work with and few prospects to deal from. If they really want stable innings and would rather just eat money (sort of like the Gordon deal being rumored) than someone like Verlander could be on their radar if contending teams take their focus elsewhere. Tigers have all the reason in the world to deal him now.

As far as Sonny Gray, I don't think Beane would hesitate to deal him in division at all. He's already been heavily attached to the Astros - and they're already dominating the division. He'd be making that team even better should he deal Gray that way - it's not like they'd suffer from whatever prospects they surrendered. Also, Gray is only under contract through '18 and '19 and Beane bluntly stated the other day that the A's were going into a massive rebuild. They're not competing those years. Early on, I though Gray's size, injury concern, and mixed recent results would ultimately spook away the buyers. There's always more smoke than fire with SPs around the deadline, and I felt that buyers would ultimately spend their prospects on safer bets like Quintana, Archer, Darvish, Verlander - even guys like Santana and Vargas would be potentially better risks for the value than someone like Gray *could* be perceived to be - and that would allow the Angels to sneak in and make a run at him. But with Quintana dealt (and the package he returned) , Archer likely staying with the Rays now, and Gray pitching much better recently, the odds are definitely slim. 

Also, if this was any other GM/FO than Billy Beane, I wouldn't think we'd have a chance at Gray, but he's proven time and time again that he's unconventional. Gray will certainly cost some top prospect capital, but Beane also has an eye for acquiring guys who he feels he can build trade value around and flip quickly too. The Angels have numerous players who Beane may see opportunistically.

[totdprods]

In all of our SP/rotation discussions recently, everyone's wants and wishes and needs all seem like they'd be neatly addressed in the form of Sonny Gray. 

He won't cost an exorbitant amount of payroll like a Darvish, Arrieta, or Cueto, so we'll have room to spend on bats still this offseason. 

He has legitimate upside of a #1 or #2, something that many are saying we need. 

He should fit the bill of a young pitcher who throws out 180 IP of 3.50 or less ball, so even if he doesn't reach that potential, he still slots in as a dependable #3.. 

Obviously, he doesn't have the durability/track record like some are hoping for, but he meets enough needs for some compromise. 

[halomatt]

The DL. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I can't believe this hasn't been used yet! It was on a tee!) 

[Stradling]

42 minutes ago, halomatt said:

The DL. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I can't believe this hasn't been used yet! It was on a tee!) 

Dude, you're absolutely right!  Haha.  Maybe we've become to sensitive because of all our injuries that we didn't find the obvious joke.  

[Glen]

57 minutes ago, halomatt said:

The DL. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I can't believe this hasn't been used yet! It was on a tee!) 

 

So you're saying the Angels get him before the end of the week?

[Glen]

Mariners have emerged as a possibility.

[Taylor]

Pennington for Gray. Get 'er done, Eppler!

[totdprods]

15 minutes ago, Glen said:

Mariners have emerged as a possibility.

We could probably top the Mariners offer these days.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

I'm going to drop one that hasn't even been listed or thought of.....

Chicago Cubs!

Gray 

for

Schwarber and a package of Prospects.

 

The Cubs will then either bump Mr. Ed to the Bullpen or release him.

1. Lester

2. Gray

3. Quintana

4. Arrieta

5. Hendricks

NL Central stolen from the Brewers and in a short series in the Playoffs you add another arm like Arrieta to their Bully. DONE!

[Angel Oracle]

SUMIF is on to something.   Schwarber is truly a DH type.   The Cubs still have a solid farm system.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

SUMIF is on to something.   Schwarber is truly a DH type.   The Cubs still have a solid farm system.

And going back through it Schwarber is a Beene type hitter like Brandon Moss, John Jaso etc.  2-3 positional spots (C, 1B, LF, DH) owner of n/one (DH)!..... And he's cheap

[ettin]

9 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

SUMIF is on to something.   Schwarber is truly a DH type.   The Cubs still have a solid farm system.

@SlappyUtilityMIF AO gave you a new nickname that is really an old nickname. Impressive! Tremendous! Bigly!

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Just now, ettin said:

@SlappyUtilityMIF AO gave you a new nickname that is really an old nickname. Impressive! Tremendous! Bigly!

Is that like Get RIF?....

[floplag]

Well per the fishwrappers everyone is going to be a Yankee, including Stanton, havent you heard?

forgot to mention also that all these big trades will be for Yankee reserves (Elsbury) that will get them these huge players from other teams cause hes so valuable he cant even start for them now.   Thats my fav part of the rumors that they will give up a 4th OF for a front line starter, cause that always happens.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

14 hours ago, totdprods said:

Verlander I think could be a target too. 

He would become the Albert Pujols of the pitching staff.

[Chuck]

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that the Mariners "might be preparing to make a run" for Sonny Gray.

Feinsand's source told him that general manager Jerry Dipoto "is going for it these next two years" and "if he is going for it, he might as well go completely in." Seattle doesn't have a terribly strong farm system, but it sounds like Dipoto could be willing to empty the cupboard in order to acquire a quality starter who is under team control through 2019. He'll have plenty of competition for Gray, of course, as most every contender looking for pitching help has been connected to him.

[totdprods]

Whatever Gray's cost is, it'd summarily kill the Mariners farm if Dipoto pulled the trigger.

[Chuck]

The Mariners farm system completely sucks. I doubt they have enough to get Gray.

That said, I think we have a better shot.