(TSX / STATS) NEW YORK, N.Y.– Sonny Gray is headed to the Big Apple.
Gray is joining the Yankees after the former All-Star right-hander was traded to New York by the Oakland Athletics ahead of Monday afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline.
The Athletics acquired outfielder Dustin Fowler, right-hander James Kaprielian and infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo in the deal. The Yankees also acquired $1.5 million in international bonus money.
“I think we’ve definitely improved ourselves,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “When I look at ownership and the front office, they’ve given us an opportunity to do something special here. Now we have to go out and do it.”
Gray, 27, went 6-5 with a 3.43 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 16 starts with Oakland this season.
The former No. 18 overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft spent his first five-plus seasons with the Athletics, compiling a 44-36 record with a 3.42 ERA and 607 strikeouts over 114 career outings (112 starts).
Gray won 14 games in back-to-back seasons with the A’s in 2014 and 2015, with his 14-7 record, 2.73 ERA and 169 strikeouts earning him his lone All-Star selection in 2015.
During that two-year span, Gray posted a 28-17 record in 64 starts with a 2.91 ERA and 352 punchouts, with a career-high 183 of those strikeouts coming in 2014.
“I know that he’s somebody that can slide into any rotation and automatically make the team better,” outfielder Brett Gardner said. “He’s somebody that I think we’re all excited to get to know. We’re excited to get him over here and work alongside him. I think he’s going to be a big boost for us.”
CC Sabathia, who helped lead the Yankees to their most recent World Series title in 2009, believes the team is knocking on the door of another championship now that Gray is in the fold.
“We’re back to the same old Yankees,” Sabathia told reporters Monday. “The goal is to win the World Series. We’re here now.”
Todd Frazier agreed with Sabathia’s assessment.
“It’s a win-win for not only me but I think (general manager) Brian Cashman did a heck of a job getting him over here,” Frazier said. “I know at the end of the day, it seemed like some things weren’t going to happen, but I think everybody here was pretty ecstatic to have another No. 1 pitcher coming here.”
Neither Fowler, 22, or Kaprielian, 23, will be able to make instant impacts within the Oakland organization, as both are currently sidelined with injuries. Fowler underwent season-ending knee surgery and Kaprielian is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Mateo, 22, thanked the Yankees’ organization in a tweet after the trade was completed.
“I would like to thank the Yankee organization for the opportunity they gave me. I also want to thank all the Yankee fan for (their) support,” Mateo wrote on his Twitter account.
New York also traded right-hander Yefry Ramirez to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for international bonus pool money.
Photo credit – Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North America – via Zimbio / Oakland, CA
