Trading Gray now a sensible strategy
The scoreboard never lies, but here’s the overriding truth to Sonny Gray’s outing in Toronto on Tuesday night: Those scouts hoping to see Gray continue his stellar work of late were not disappointed.
He left with a 4-1 deficit after six innings. He made a costly throwing error, uncorked a wild pitch and took the loss. All of that shows up glaringly in the box score, and Gray wasn’t at all happy, because he demands so much of himself. But the scouts took note of the sharp-breaking curveballs, the hitters constantly off-balance, and a fast-
steams toward the plate around 91-92 mph but acts like Tim Lincecum’s changeup.
Remember that pitch? What made Lincecum so great was the distinctive variety and delivery of his pitches, including a changeup that broke radically down and away from left-handed hitters. It was a pitch that could not be struck with any authority — and because it looked like a fastball out of Lincecum’s hand, hitters could only wave their bats in futility and trudge back to the dugout.
Gray has mastered that pitch. On his 102nd delivery of the night, it struck out Ezequiel Carrera at a crisp 92 mph. Because 100 pitches is such a big deal these days, foolishly portrayed as the end of a pitcher’s effectiveness and a bridge to impending disaster, the scouts definitely noticed. On an evening on which Gray labored at times, then settled down handsomely, he hadn’t lost a thing at the time of his exit. Consistently keeping the ball low, where the payoffs lie, he struck out nine batters and didn’t record a single flyball out.
So many teams are interested in acquiring Gray before Monday’s trading deadline; the Yankees, Astros and Brewers have been rumored to be in the mix for weeks. But a couple of recent developments have expanded the field, raising some fascinating possibilities for Gray’s immediate future if a deadline deal goes down.
The ever-fragile Stephen Strasburg is experiencing arm troubles in Washington, and although the Nationals’ concern seems mild at the moment, that’s a loss they could not afford. Gray would look awfully good in Dusty Baker’s rotation, and he’d experience the beauty of playing alongside Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon and (when he returns from injury) Trea Turner in a truly fearsome lineup.
Now consider the Dodgers, reeling from the news that Clayton Kershaw’s back issues have resurfaced and will sideline him 4-6 weeks. So far, there is no connection between this injury (a back strain) and the herniated disk that sidelined him for 2½ months last year, but sometimes the initial diagnosis — or what a team is willing to reveal — can be deceptive.
In any case, it’s a moment of philosophical reckoning for the Dodgers’ front office. This team fiercely protects its top young players, rejecting major trades for the benefit of keeping them, and that’s the reason we see Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson at the forefront of a spectacularly successful season.
Still, the Dodgers need to consider their recent history. It’s all very nice to win division titles, but this team hasn’t won the world championship since 1988. In each of the previous four seasons, Kershaw had to work playoff games on three days’ rest — with little success. That can’t happen again, and with lefthanders (Kershaw, Rich Hill and Alex Wood) slated as their top three postseason starters, manager Dave Roberts needs a trusty right-hander in the worst way.
The A’s don’t have to trade Gray, who is under club control over the next two seasons. As such, they can hold to some lofty demands if the Dodgers are willing to negotiate. Outfielder Alex Verdugo and pitcher Walker Buehler are said to be the Dodgers’ can’t-miss prospects at the moment, and there are many others of note. They also have to measure Gray’s attractive contract against Yu Darvish, who would be a two-month rental if acquired from the Rangers (assuming he entered the free-agent market on schedule), and Detroit’s Justin Verlander, still a big-game pitcher with a ton of stuff (he hit 98.8 mph on the gun Monday night) but is due some $56 million over the next two seasons.
It says here the Dodgers have to make some kind of move. Similarly, the A’s would do well to trade Gray, right now, while he’s on a streak of six solid outings. As usual, Oakland fans are braced for another emotion-laced departure of a popular player.
But that’s where Matt Chapman comes in. It was interesting to hear ex-Oakland third baseman Josh Donaldson rave about Chapman (see A’s Beat, Page B5) because the A’s young third baseman looks like the second coming: spectacularly athletic, excellent defensively and capable of hitting the monstrous, game-changing home run. He hit a 435-foot shot into the outdoor seating of a distant restaurant at the Rogers Centre on Monday night, and when a Toronto fan threw it back, A’s broadcaster Glen Kuiper noted the ball “might have some salad dressing on it.”
When the A’s dropped hints about a bold shift in strategy, keeping their best young players with multiyear contracts, they undoubtedly had Chapman in mind. He has the look of pure stardom, labeled “Captain America” by teammate Chris Smith. If the A’s keep that promise, with Chapman and others, losing Gray won’t be so hard to take.