Reds rumors: Cincinnati Reds not likely to trade for Sonny Gray

As we get further into the MLB offseason, the Reds rumors keep coming. The latest whispers have Cincinnati Reds out on Yankees starter Sonny Gray.

Most of the Reds rumors we’ve touched on this offseason have dealt with upgrades to the Cincinnati Reds starting pitching. This latest rumor is no different. It now appears that a trade between the Reds and New York Yankees for pitcher Sonny Gray is all but off the table.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted early on Monday that the San Diego Padres remain interested in acquiring the right-handed Gray from the Yanks. Morosi stated that there may be some hesitancy in the Yankees’ organization about trading Gray with uncertainty now surrounding the health of CC Sabathia entering Spring Training.

This led us to theorize that the Reds are likely out on Gray and that given his ceiling as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter, other options via free agency or trade would be a better choice for the Reds. Morosi later confirmed that those theories, saying that the Reds are not seriously engaged in Sonny Gray trade talks right now.

Morosi then went on to say that the Cincinnati Reds are more likely to sign Dallas Keuchel, although that’s far from probable. He then summed up his report by saying that the Reds are looking for a starter with multiple years of control. Sonny Gray has one year of arbitration eligibility left and can become a free agent after the upcoming season.

While I’d love to see the Reds land Keuchel, his asking price is very high and it’s been said that he’s looking for a five-year contract. After the debacle that Homer Bailey‘s contract turned out to be, the Reds are likely a little sour to the idea of giving a 30-plus year-old pitcher a five-year deal.

However, pitchers like Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jay and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians have multiple years of team control remaining on their current deals. A deal for Kluber though appears incredibly unlikely given the king’s ransom that Cleveland is looking for.

For now, fans can be happy that the latest Reds rumors indicate Cincinnati is out of the running for Gray. I’ve thought all along that giving up top-level prospects for one year of a mediocre pitcher seemed a bit silly. I mean, if the Yankees wanted a prospect like James Marinan or Jose Lopez, maybe you take a flyer on Gray. But, if the Yankees are looking for a Top 20 prospect, the Reds should let the call go to voicemail.