Sonny Gray and the Braves have been linked for quite some time now, and Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees are inching closer and closer to finalizing a deal to send Gray out of town.
Yankees are working hard now on a trade for Sonny Gray. Appears to be getting more serious. Teams involved have included: reds, giants, brewers, a’s, padres, braves, mariners.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2019
Yankees are indeed close to trading Sonny Gray. Teams are also asking about Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Holder.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2019
However, while Heyman mentions the Braves as one of the possible suitors, the Athletic’s David O’Brien let us know that Atlanta is not the team nearing a trade for Gray.
#Braves could make a trade for a starter, but it's not going to be Gray. They've not been in recent trade discussions about him. https://t.co/jRFOsNn8LE
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) January 17, 2019
Once a Cy-Young candidate for the Athletics, Gray has not been the same since moving to New York and put together one of his worst seasons in 2018. He is a bounce-back candidate once he leaves the tight confines of Yankee Stadium, but on a one-year deal, he doesn’t appear to be much of an upgrade over what the Braves already have.