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Yankees Trade Sonny Gray As Part Of 3-Team Deal

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Sonny Gray era is officially over in New York.

The Yankees traded the disappointing right-hander to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, in what ultimately became a three-team trade involving the Seattle Mariners.

Rumors of the 29-year-old's exit from the Bronx started over the weekend, but a trade wasn't completed until Gray agreed to a contract extension with the Reds. The new agreement reportedly added $30.5 million from 2020-22 onto Gray's current one-year deal.

New York received infield prospect Shed Long and a high pick in this year's amateur draft. New York then flipped Long to the Mariners in exchange for 21-year-old outfield prospect Josh Stowers. The Yankees also sent left-handed minor leaguer Reiver Sanmartin to Cincinnati along with Gray.

The Final Details Of The Trade

Yankees Get:

  • OF Josh Stowers
  • 2019 Competitive Balance Draft Round "A" Pick (36th overall)

Reds Get:

  • RHP Sonny Gray (signed to 3-year extension through 2022)
  • LHP Reiver Sanmartin

Mariners Get:

  • INF Shed Long

Coming off a last-place finish in the NL Central, the Reds have now added Gray, Tanner Roark, and Alex Wood to their rotation in offseason trades.

Gray and the Yankees settled on a $7.5 million, one-year contract on Jan. 11 that avoided salary arbitration. He had been eligible for free agency after this season, and his new deal raises his guarantee to $38 million over four seasons. The new contract with Cincinnati also includes a $12 million club option for 2023.

The 29-year-old starter has had a nightmare stint with the Yankees since a 2017 trade from Oakland brought him to the Bronx. Gray got off to an underwhelming start with New York, going 4-7 in 11 starts in 2017. Things only got worse from there in 2018, especially at Yankee Stadium.

The right-hander seemed to implode in every single appearance in the Bronx, pitching to a miserable 6.98 ERA at home. He would eventually be demoted to the bottom of the Yankee bullpen as GM Brian Cashman opted to trade for Lance Lynn rather than give the ball back to Gray.

Baltimore Orioles v New York Yankees
Sonny Gray has managed only a 15-16 record since being traded to the Yankees in 2017. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Overall, Gray was 15-16 with a 4.52 ERA during his tenure in New York.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had said throughout the offseason he intended to trade Gray, but Cashman waited until CC Sabathia was cleared to resume working out following a procedure last month to insert a stent to clear a blockage in an artery to his heart.

Along with the recovering Sabathia, the Yankee rotation now projects to feature Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, 36-year-old J.A. Happ (who was resigned this offseason), and James Paxton (the oft-injured lefty acquired from Seattle in November).

Now in New York's crowded minor league system, Stowers was selected by Seattle in the second round with the 54th overall pick last year and signed for a $1.1 million bonus. He hit .260 with 15 doubles, five homers, 28 RBIs, and 20 steals in 58 games with Class A Everett.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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