Yahoo Sports Twins land veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray in trade from Reds
The Minnesota Twins have added a significant piece to their rotation.
The Twins acquired veteran right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray on Sunday from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitcher Chase Petty, Minnesota’s first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in 2021. The Twins also added minor-league right-hander Francis Peguero in the deal.
Gray, a two-time All-Star, had been with the Reds since 2019 and also had previous stints with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. In 2021, Gray made 26 starts for the Reds and finished the year 7-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 135 1/3 innings. Now, he will head back to the American League, where he emerged as a legitimate top of the rotation starter in Oakland. His best season came back in 2015 when he went 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA in 31 starts for the A’s.
With the Twins, Gray joins a team that went 73-89 and finished in last place in the AL Central last season as everything that could go wrong did. The Twins gave Byron Buxton a seven-year, $100 million contract extension before the MLB lockout commenced in December but still needed to address their starting pitching concerns.
Twins bolster their chances with Sonny Gray
Gray gives the Twins rotation a much-needed jolt of reliability. The diminutive 32-year-old righty has been solidly above average throughout his career. He’s twice received Cy Young votes, including after a 2019 season that began his resurgence in Cincinnati.
Over three seasons and 68 starts with the Reds, he posted a 3.49 ERA that was 36% better than the park-adjusted league average.
Despite that miserable 2021 season, Minnesota’s roster is actually set up to contend. Having invested in veteran Josh Donaldson and extended the superb-when-healthy Byron Buxton, the Twins projected as fringe contenders in the AL before this deal.
What they lacked were confidence-inspiring starting rotation options.
While the Twins have some promising young starters like Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, losing Kenta Maeda to Tommy John surgery made the rotation a clear area of need. Gray and earlier offseason addition Dylan Bundy are at least the beginning of the front office’s solution, and reports indicate they may still be in the market for more starters.
Gray’s contract includes a 2023 team option, so he could be in Minnesota for two seasons.
The Twins have been busy since the lockout ended. They also flipped catcher Mitch Garver to the Texas Rangers on Saturday to acquire defensive specialist Isiah Kiner-Falefa to play shortstop. That will likely make Jorge Polanco the regular second baseman while freeing up Luis Arraez to take at-bats at DH or spell Donaldson and Miguel Sano.
What the deal means for the Reds
For Reds fans, this is another disappointing sign that the front office is focused on cutting the payroll more than building up a team that has been on the postseason bubble in recent years.
Gray was part of a dynamic trio atop the Cincinnati rotation alongside Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle. Now Gray is gone and the other two keep popping up in trade rumors.
The Reds won 83 games in 2021, finishing as the first team out of the NL playoff field. If MLB’s new playoff format were in place, they would have made it as a wild card. But the offseason has seen them trade away catcher Tucker Barnhart and give away veteran starter Wade Miley on waivers. Slugger Nick Castellanos opted out of his deal after a strong performance and they seem unlikely to pony up to bring him back.
