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  • Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty


    Seth Stohs

    The Minnesota Twins have announced that they have acquired RHP Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds, along with RHP Francis Peguero, in exchange for 2021 top pick Chase Petty. 

    Image courtesy of David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

    Why would you trade your 19-year-old first-round pick from 2021? Well, it is to acquire your Opening Day starter. No, we don't know that officially yet, but Sonny Gray has an excellent track record of success.

    Gray is a 32-year-old right-hander. Last year with the Reds, he went 7-9 with a 4.19 ERA. In 135 1/3 innings, he had 155 strikeouts. He pitched for the Oakland A's from 2013-2017 before heading to the Yankees at the 2017 trade deadline. He remained in New York through the 2018 season. He signed with the Reds before the 2019 season. Overall, he his 82-72 with a 3.61 ERA over 1,267 1/3 innings in his career. 

    Gray was the 18th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Vanderbilt University. 

    Francis Peguero is a 24-year-old who signed with the Reds from the Dominican Republic back in 2017. He has worked out of the bullpen throughout his career. In 103 innings in his career, he has struck out 116 batters while walking just 21 batters. He spent the full 2021 season at High-A Dayton.  

    To get something, you have to give up someone, right? Well, the Twins traded their top pick from last year's draft, Chase Petty, to the Reds. He pitched in just two games after being drafted last year. He was touted for his triple-digit fastball, and he's got some really good secondary pitches to go with it. The sky is certainly the limit, but that's the price for a quality, top-of-the-rotation arm. 

    For those who say that this is unlike the Twins to trade a top pitching prospect. Recall just a couple of years ago when the team traded a top 5 prospect in Brusdar Graterol to the Dodgers in the deal for Kenta Maeda

    In addition, Gray's contract was for $30.5 million over three years. However, there is also an option for the 2023 season at $12 million. It would seem a pretty easy decision unless things unravel for a pitcher with a great track record. 

    A quick search of how often Sonny Gray has been tagged in Twins Daily articles shows that he has been on fans' radars for awhile. 

    Share your thoughts on this trade in the COMMENTS below. 

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    5 hours ago, bean5302 said:

    See Santana and Berrios? Santana spent 8 years in a Twins uniform. Berrios spent 6 years in a Twins uniform. Signing those guys to long term contracts means you've failed to develop replacements.

    Signing any player in free agency means the farm system failed to produce the needed talent. Period. Sometimes it's going to fail to produce. It's the case for every team. Hoping the farm system fails and you have to sign top talent at free agency wouldn't be my goal.

    It was meant tongue in cheek.  kinda.  

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    3 hours ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

    How would we feel about this trade if we were Reds fans?

    The Reds aren't a great team, but they've been in the hunt the last 2 years. They have the reigning 2021 NL Rookie of the Year (Jonathan India), plus an elite prospect on the cusp of MLB (Hunter Greene). They don't have anyone significant who is in their walk year in 2022, and Joey Votto looks like he may have some baseball life left. And they were already an estimated $10 mil below their 2021 payroll, and $14 mil below 2019.

    I think many of their fans would have wanted an immediate addition to the roster, and would be be frustrated that instead they shed further payroll in exchange for a guy that they passed on in the last draft (Reds picked 17th, Petty was chosen 26th), with no track record, who is at least 3-4 years away from contributing anything (if he contributes anything).

    Looking at the Reds post on The Athletic, and their fans are NOT happy!

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    This is a good trade. The Twins need starting pitching, and they'll take two years of control for 24 million and a first round high school pitcher.  They're 1 for 10 all-time as far as getting big league production from a first round high school pitcher (although Todd Ritchie had some years for Pittsburgh), so I'll take the Gray/Peguero side of the bet all day and twice on Sundays.

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    4 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

    Only if the FA wanted to sign with the Twins.  People seem to refuse to acknowledge the fact that it takes both sides to agree on a contract.

    And we have to get over the idea that no one will sign here.  Cruz, Donaldson, Simmons and a lot of lousy pitchers all came as FAs. 

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    20 hours ago, Sielk said:

    I am honestly surprised to see so many negative reactions to this trade. Everyone wanted pitching, after all.

    Yes, Petty is a very good prospect but he is also not even 19 years old and this farm system has a TON of RHPs. Anytime you trade away a prospect there is a chance that he could become something. There is also a decent chance Petty is a bust and the Twins get Sonny Gray for free.

    You gotta give up something in a trade and I would rather give up Petty than someone like Winder who will probably help the Twins a lot in the near future. 

    I like this one much better than the Garver trade!

    I really like the trade. Seems overwhelmingly positive. Gray is a stud, you get him for two years at a very affordable price for a high school pitcher who was years away and has a high likelihood of not contributing at the MLB level ever. 

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    2 good trades.  Donaldson could not stay on the field and there were limited places to dump him because his salary was an albatross.  So Twins get flexibility and Urshela is a comparison to less than league average backups.  Still a hole at SS (and left field).

    Sanchez is something at catcher the Twins have not had in several years---a field leader.  He will split time and can help develop leadership behind the plate with his co-starter---something we have not had since Mauer was behind the plate.  Mauer was not a vocal leader---but ran the game from the back side of the dish supremely and that needs to come back.

    Twins traded away a PROSPECT for a PROVEN-- Gray is at a good salary with 3 yrs of control.  In case nobody has noticed, the Twins are not great at drafting or developing pitching---the chances of the #1 becoming what Sonny Gray currently is are less than 15%.  I'll take that any day.

    Now--please find a place to dump Sano  , work Gordon in Left and get a SS.

     

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