Yankees, A's are closer to making deal for Sonny Gray
The New York Yankees' pursuit of Oakland Athletics starter Sonny Gray spilled into the waning hours, as officials for both teams tried to decide if they're ready to make the compromises needed to bring a trade to fruition before Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
The teams are "close enough to get over the hump," a source said. But Oakland executive vice president Billy Beane has given indications he's prepared to hang on to Gray, who isn't eligible for free agency until 2019. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has thus far been resistant to giving up the prospect package the A's are seeking for Gray.
The Yankees covered themselves to an extent when they picked up lefty starter Jaime Garcia from the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. But Cashman would like to further strengthen the rotation and complement a strong Yankees bullpen featuring Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren and Tommy Kahnle.
The Yankees have one of baseball's best-ranked farm systems, and they appear to have the pieces to acquire Gray even without including infielder Gleyber Torres or outfielder Clint Frazier in a deal. The Yankees declared those two players off-limits from the outset in their talks with Oakland, and the two teams have since focused on other prospects.
Gray, 27, is 44-36 with a 3.42 ERA over parts of five seasons in Oakland. He was Oakland's first-round pick and the 18th overall choice in the 2011 first-year player draft out of Vanderbilt University.
The Yankees are 56-47 and lead Boston by a half-game in the American League East after taking three of four games from the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.
