MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and More
With the non-waiver trade deadline of Monday at 4 p.m. ET creeping closer, the New York Yankees made a move Saturday night for starting pitcher Jaime Garcia, who had just been traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Minnesota Twins last Monday:
Here's a look at the latest chatter about three starting pitchers who could have new homes very soon:
Sonny Gray
Although the Yankees acquired Garcia, they still remain the front-runners for Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:
On the surface, acquiring two starting pitchers seems like a curious move. The Yankees have one open spot in the rotation after Michael Pineda tore his UCL, but Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery are holding down the other four.
However, Joel Sherman of the New York Post and MLB Network explains why the Yanks are still pursuing Gray:
Feinsand also points out that a six-man rotation could be a possibility through the regular season:
Another reason: Gray is having a good season, as he is 6-5 with a 3.43 ERA. He is striking out batters at an above-average clip of 23.5 percent of the time, per FanGraphs, and he is also inducing ground balls at a 56.7 percent rate.
Although Gray would be moving from a pitcher's park (O.co Coliseum) to a hitter's park with short porches in left and right field (Yankee Stadium), he can make the transition if his stellar ground-ball rate continues.
Expect a deal to get done before Monday's deadline.
Lance Lynn
The St. Louis Cardinals are only 4.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central lead, but they could conceivably become sellers at the deadline. Ultimately, the Redbirds are two games under .500 and haven't looked the part of a playoff contender all season.
Of course, things can change in the matter of days in the standings, but with the deadline looming, the Cards have to make a decision as to whether they are buyers or sellers.
If they choose the latter, then the Houston Astros are interested in starting pitcher Lance Lynn, per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports:
That history Morosi referenced can be read about here, but focusing on Lynn, he is one of the most underrated starting pitchers in baseball.
Lynn isn't an innings-eater, averaging just under six per start, but he's earned a 3.35 ERA over the course of six seasons and has won 15 or more games three times.
He'd be a great asset on the Astros and would combine with 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and 2017 All-Star Lance McCullers Jr. to form a very formidable one-two-three punch in the starting rotation.
Per FanGraphs, the Cards have a 20.7 percent shot to make the playoffs. Is that high enough for the Cards to hold still and hope for a late-season run, or will they look to 2018 and beyond?
J.A. Happ
The Toronto Blue Jays have had a disappointing season, as they are 48-56 and in last place in the American League East. It's been a surprise to see Toronto flounder, and now it may trade off some veterans with an eye toward the future.
Per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Jays will consider team's asking prices for 34-year-old left-hander J.A. Happ:
Happ signed as a free agent before the 2016 season and immediately paid off, as he went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA, finishing sixth in the AL Cy Young voting.
However, this year has been a different story. Happ missed a month-and-a-half in the early portion of the season with left elbow inflammation, and he hasn't been the same, going 3-8 with a 4.15 ERA. His WHIP has jumped from 1.17 to 1.33 as well.
That all being said, Happ is one year removed from winning 20 games, and left-handed starters aren't exactly a dime a dozen, especially with Garcia finding a new home. Don't be surprised if more interest drums up around Happ as the deadline nears.
