Steep asking price for Gray slowing trade
LAS VEGAS — The Yankees’ efforts to trade Sonny Gray are ongoing, but unless their asking price in return goes down it’s going to be a while before the veteran right-hander is dealt.
Shortly after the Yankees were eliminated from the ALDS by the Red Sox, general manager Brian Cashman went public with a desire to trade Gray, who lost his spot in the rotation and finished his first full season as a Yankee with an 11-9 record and 4.90 ERA in 30 games (23 starts).
According to an official of a team interested in the 29-year old right-hander with a career 59-52 record and a 3.66 ERA, the Yankees have asked about high-end major league talent in trade talks.
Since Cashman said he was dealing Gray, the Yankees acquired lefty James Paxton from the Mariners and have agreed to a two-year deal with an option to bring back free-agent lefty J.A. Happ that could be announced Thursday.
The additions of Paxton and Happ give the Yankees five starters and they don’t view Gray as a reliever or rotation insurance.
As the Yankees search to replace Didi Gregorius at shortstop until he returns from Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow, they have contemplated moving Gleyber Torres from second to short (his position in the minor leagues) and haven’t ruled out signing mega free agent Manny Machado.
“The best decision possible, whatever it happens to be,’’ Cashman said when asked if he had a preference to acquire a second baseman or a shortstop. “Very clearly there are a very deep amount of opportunities in the second-base market rather than shortstop. We have to decide what our preferences are based on what exists in the marketplace and the price tags associated.’’
MLB holds its Rule 5 draft Thursday morning, the final event of the winter meetings.
After having four players taken from the minor league system last December, the Yankees aren’t likely to have anywhere near that amount this year.
“They protected all the right guys,’’ a talent evaluator said of the Yankees.
Most notably protected was hardthrowing right-handed reliever Joe Harvey. In 43 combined games for Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 19th-round pick in the 2014 draft from the University of Pittsburgh went 3-2 with a 1.67 ERA and fanned 68 in 59 ¹/3 innings.
Tanner Roark figured he would be pitching in Washington’s star-studded rotation next year alongside Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and newcomer Patrick Corbin.
Instead, he found himself part of the majors’ first Tanner-for-Tanner trade, headed to the rebuilding Reds. Cincinnati acquired him for fellow right-hander Tanner Rainey on Wednesday during the winter meetings.
“I felt like we would have a pretty good staff over there in D.C. but they thought otherwise and I don’t know what their plans are,” Roark said in a conference call. “I’m just grateful to be a National. It was good times over there.”
As of now, Roark could lead a young Reds rotation — though president of baseball operations Dick Williams made it clear his last-place club is hardly done dealing. Righty starter Matt Harvey came to Cincinnati from the Mets last May.
There have been only a handful of big-league players over the years with the first name of Tanner, and this was the first time two of them were traded for each other.
The 32-year-old Roark led the National League in losses last season, going 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA. He is 64-54 in six years, all with Washington.
Roark made $6,475,000 last year and is eligible for arbitration. He can become a free agent after next season. RANGERS: Former Yankee Lance Lynn is close to signing a three-year, $30 million free-agent deal with Texas, according to reports.
ANGELS: Justin Bour is set to bring the Angels key depth they need until stars Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani are fully recovered from surgery. The Angels and the freeagent first baseman reached a deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press.
Bour’s contract is pending a physical, the person said on condition of anonymity because nothing had been finalized.
The 30-year-old Bour hit 20 homers and drove in 59 runs with the Marlins and Phillies last season.
TIGERS: A person familiar with the negotiations Jordy Mersays shortstop cer and Detroit have agreed to a $5.25 million, one-year contract.