Seattle Mariners Rumors: Yankees put Sonny Gray on Trade Block

Roughly a month away from the upcoming MLB free agency period, a potential starting pitching target for the Mariners has seemingly become available.

The New York Yankees became the MLB’s 10th 100-win team to not win their division, bolstering a young, talented corp that will keep them in World Series contention for years to come. They were able to win their Wild Card matchup versus the Athletics earlier this month, but were bested by the team they finished right behind in the AL East — the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees quite a bit of excess at the top of their roster, with a deep farm system that has raised their floor exponentially. Considering that the Yankees have never had a problem spending money, shaving payroll is not a concern of theirs. However, shaving off some dead weight and a few dollars, especially in a contract year, is never a bad thing.

So that’s where Sonny Gray comes in. The former Oakland Athletics All-Star was acquired at the trade deadline in July 2017, but failed to meet the expectations of the Yankees front office and their fanbase. Gray’s tenure in the Bronx turned from bad to worse in 2018, eventually finding himself demoted to a meager bullpen role this past August.

Today, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was very candid about his stance on Gray. Their plan, until further notice, is to actively pursue a trade for the 28-year-old. As of now, it appears that Gray has played his final game in pinstripes.

Before we get into why the Mariners make sense as a potential suitor for Gray, we should probably look at why they will likely have quite a bit of competition on the market.

Similarly to Tyler Chatwood last offseason, Gray still carries a great deal of value with him due to his success outside of his home ballpark. At Yankee Stadium in 2018, Gray posted an abysmal 6.98 ERA in 58 innings, allowing an opponent’s slash line of .315/.406/.527. Outside of Yankee Stadium, however, Gray was above league average, bringing that slash line down to .223/.295/.320 for a much-improved 3.17 ERA.

Given that there are very few ballparks that are less pitcher-friendly than Yankee Stadium, most teams looking to buy will view their organization as a great opportunity for Gray to bounce back in. However, that may only last for a year, with Gray potentially heading for a big payday if he balls out next season. Depending on the market Gray generates, his potential rental status may simultaneously help and hurt his value.

Now, why would the Mariners be interested? Haven’t I been preaching that, if the Mariners want to acquire a starter this offseason, it would have to be through free agency? Sure, but Gray makes sense for this team in a lot of ways. The first reason being that Gray isn’t going to command a massive return, even with his road successes that will surely attract quite a few suitors.

Overall, on paper, Gray was a bad pitcher in 2018, and the Yankees clearly don’t want him moving forward. They don’t have a lot of leverage now, especially when they’ve publicly announced their willingness to part ways. This works out greatly for the Mariners, who don’t have the prospect capital to finesse a deal for one of the MLB’s premier starting pitchers. In this case, they may be able to steal one for a relatively low cost.

Gray is also only set to make $9 million post-arbitration this year, which doesn’t constrict the Mariners’ tight payroll too much. Considering that Seattle’s been linked to Gray in the past, and their familiarity with him from his time in the AL West, they will likely be at the front of the line in hopes of swinging a deal. It also helps that Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has maintained a good repertoire with the Yankees’ front office over the past three years, completing deals for James Pazos and Ben Gamel, both of which have been a roaring success.

In 33.2 innings of work at Safeco Field, Gray has a 1.07 ERA with an opponent’s wOBA of .243. Of course, that has come against some fairly mediocre Mariners offenses, but it’s definitely quite the upgrade over the terrors he’s experienced on the East Coast.

I don’t expect the Mariners to be as active in the trade market as they’ve been in the past, but Gray is definitely a name to keep an eye on. There should be little doubt that Seattle will touch base on him and try to work towards a deal. Dipoto is a well-documented risk-taker, and this one of those risks that could swing big for them.