The New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics are still working on a deal to ship Sonny Gray to the Yankees, according to Buster Olney and Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. The deal is facing hurdles as reports have surfaced that Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres are off limits. Frazier has been on a tear since his calling to New York as he is slugging over .500 and has four home runs. The only way that Gray is coming to New York is if the Yankees give up a couple of their middle tier prospects.
Yankees have others to offer
The Yankees have other prospects that rank in the top 100 according to Keith Law of ESPN.
These include pitchers Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield. There is also infielder Jorge Mateo, and outfielders Dustin Fowler and Estevan Florial. The Athletics are looking for impactful players as they look to move into a new ballpark in the near future. Frazier was seen to be that key piece, but he is now off limits.
The Yankees will have a hard time getting Gray and All Star Yonder Alonso without parting with Gray. The Yankees are also in need of a first baseman as Greg Bird is lost for the season. However, rumors have cooled on the Yankees receiving Alonso in the package as well.
Gray is an attractive option. He is not set to become a free agent until after the 2019 season. He has made the All Star game once in his five seasons in Oakland.
He has had six quality starts in his last eight outings. The Yankees have a day to figure out a deal as his start was pushed back from Sunday to Monday. His start is after the 4:00 p.m. trade deadline.
Headley's slash line means Gray is top priority
Chase Headley has a line of .317/.364/.415 in the month of July, which means that the Yankees are even more unlikely to give up Frazier in a package to nab Alonso with Gray.
Alonso is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, so he would only be a rental. With the acquisition of Todd Frazier, the Yankees moved Headley over to first base.
The Yankees are looking solely at a starting pitcher. The team lose Michael Pineda to a season ending injury weeks ago. Pineda suffered a torn UCL, and needs Tommy John Surgey.
Masahiro Tanaka has been inconsistent and CC Sabathia is on the other side of thirty. Gray would slide in to give the team a top pitcher in the American League to help the Yankees fight against the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox are currently leading the American League East, while the Rays are leading the first wild card spot.