MLB trade rumors: Why Yankees’ Brian Cashman refused to include Sonny Gray in James Paxton deal

by Felix Pantaleón

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wants to trade right-hander Sonny Gray. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Cashman refused to include Gray in the deal for Seattle Mariners left-hander James Paxton.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman isn’t hiding the fact he is trying to trade right-hander Sonny Gray.

Question is, how much can Cashman get for Gray?

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Cashman isn’t just looking to give away the 29-year-old pitcher:

Early in their trade discussions, the Mariners asked the Yankees for right-hander Sonny Gray along with lefty Justus Sheffield as part of the return for lefty James Paxton. The Yankees declined to include Gray, telling the Mariners they had a number of other teams interested in him.

Some with the Yankees suspected the Mariners wanted Gray to flip him – perhaps to the Reds, who were trying to land Paxton. The Mariners, though, never got to that point. They viewed Gray as an asset, either for their own club or for another trade, but the quick “no” from New York precluded them from talking to other teams about him.

Hal Steinbrenner Q&A takeaways

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafarado reported Sunday that the trade market for Gray is heating up:

The Athletics have shown considerable interest in trying to reacquire him, but many other smaller-market teams, such as the Braves, Padres, Rangers, and Twins, have also expressed interest. So, Cashman will likely be able to get prospects back for Gray, or he could flip him for a good late-inning reliever since David Robertson and Zach Britton are possible free agent defections.

Gray has failed to live up to his potential following the 2017 non-waiver trade deadline with the A’s.

He’s 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA since coming over from Oakland. By the end of the 2018 season, Gray had been banished to the bullpen and finished with a 11-9 record and 4.90 ERA.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.