GRAY MATTER
Sonny fits with Dodgers
IN THE past 24 hours I have had multiple executives play connect the dots, with the end result being Sonny Gray ends up a Dodger.
Yet every time I check, I hear he is not a front-burner issue for them and that other teams will value the Athletics righty more. Translation? Give up a better return than the Dodgers are willing. Also, Oakland’s scouts continue to canvas mainly the systems of the Yankees, Astros, Braves and Brewers.
Nevertheless, even as the Dodgers view their chances of landing Gray as slim at best, they have been portrayed by a few executives as anything from a stalking horse staying on the periphery in case teams like the Astros and Yankees pivot elsewhere, with one outside official calling them the favorites, making this case:
1. Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi is familiar with Gray, having been part of the A’s infrastructure that drafted and developed the righty, and familiarity from Oakland is partially how Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir got free-agent deals with Los Angeles.
2. Zaidi is tight with the A’s front office from their time together, which helped facilitate a big trade at last year’s deadline, when the Dodgers landed Rich Hill and Josh Reddick for three pitching prospects.
3. There is a lot of similarity to that trade. There were persistent questions about Hill’s ability to stay healthy, as there is with Gray. But the Dodgers have shown when they like the upside of starters such as Hill, McCarthy, Kazmir or Kenta Maeda, they will tolerate the physical red flags to get what they perceive as high-end quality. However, in all of those cases but Hill, the risk was just free-agent dollars and the Dodgers are known to shield their best prospects in deals as much as any organization.
4. The Dodgers have a quest to get under the luxury-tax threshold in 2019. They will shed significant contracts in the next two offseasons: Kazmir, McCarthy, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Hyun-jin Ryu, the already-released Carl Crawford and possibly Clayton Kershaw, if he opts out after next season. That Gray is under control through 2019 would enable the Dodgers to have a relatively cost-certain pitcher in that season without having to delve into expensive free agency.
5. Kershaw is on the disabled list with another back injury. The Dodgers believe they will get him back in time to prep for the playoffs. If he does return, then Gray (superb in his one postseason experience in 2013) likely would slot in to start a Game 2 or 3. If Kershaw does not return, then the presence of Gray would still give the Dodgers a fighter’s chance to win their first World Series since 1988, especially if they also deepen their pen by adding someone such as the Padres’ Brad Hand.
6. Dodgers officials are said to be sensitive to the dynamic that when a team has played as well as theirs as has, the clubhouse expects its front office to honor that with a significant move. Because the Dodgers have the playoffs all but assured — they are 71-31 and led the NL West by 12 games — they are looking for difference-makers to raise the likelihood of getting through October, not to October.
That is why the Dodgers have been circling Zach Britton and, especially, Yu Darvish. They had seen Darvish as having the best stuff of any starter on the market. But the trade rumors might be getting to Darvish, who is known to not want to leave the Rangers. The Marlins blasted him for 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings Wednesday and in five July starts, the righty has a 7.20 ERA and an .871 OPS against. Gray, meanwhile, in his past six starts — amid heavy trade rumors — has a 1.37 ERA and .486 OPS against.
The irony is the Rangers’ subpar play has pushed GM Jon Daniels to more seriously shop Darvish, whose subpar pitching has helped both create the poor play and perhaps a less desirable market for him. With Jose Quintana traded and Darvish struggling, Gray becomes even more distinct in the market place.