Sonny Gray Trade Rumors: Deadline Day

With about one hour remaining until the trade deadline, all eyes are on Athletics ace Sonny Gray.  Gray comes with a 3.43 ERA on the season and club control through 2019.  The latest:

• The Yankees’ dialogue continues on Gray, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports says the Yankees and A’s have had some movement on a trade, but aren’t quite there yet.  Mark Feinsand of MLB.com feels Gray will either go to the Yankees or stay with the A’s.  There is a strong belief within the A’s organization that a Gray trade will get done, tweets MLB.com’s Jane Lee.

Earlier Updates

• The Cubs would love to acquire Gray and are monitoring the situation in case the Yankees’ talks with the A’s crumble, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.  But as Shea notes, the Cubs don’t have as much to offer as the Yankees, having depleted their farm system with trades dating back to last summer.  Shea’s colleague Susan Slusser hears that several other clubs are in the same boat as the Cubs.
• The Brewers love Gray and could get involved in talks with the A’s if negotiations with the Yankees drag on, tweets Jon Heyman.  Joel Sherman believes the A’s like the Yankees’ bid more, however.
• A trade of Gray to the Yankees is “gaining more traction,” tweets Joel Sherman.  Sherman adds that a deal is “still not at finish line, but [is] becoming more than less likely now.”  In a subsequent tweet, Sherman cautions the A’s could still walk away.  Meanwhile, Mark Feinsand has three sources who expect the Yankees to acquire Gray, though they believe it could come down to the final hour.
• Jon Heyman says some pieces have been agreed to in a potential Yankees-A’s Gray swap, with the Yankees remaining the favorite.  Heyman says the A’s want three or four top prospects, below the tier of Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier.  Here’s a look at the Yankees’ top prospects from MLB.com, in case you’d like to speculate.
• The Braves’ interest in Gray has cooled, tweets Joel Sherman.  Sherman takes that as a sign the A’s will either trade Gray to the Yankees today or hold onto him until the winter.
• Deals involving Gray and Yu Darvish are “not expected to materialize” until the final hour of the deadline, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports notes that the Cubs checked in on Gray, but the asking price seems to be too steep.
• While the Yankees remain the strong favorite for Gray, according to Jon Heyman, the Braves are at least one other team that is in contact with the A’s regarding the 27-year-old righty.  Heyman feels that the Yankees are a better match than the Braves for Gray given Oakland’s positional needs, noting that the Braves won’t deal Triple-A outfielder Ronald Acuna.
• The Yankees and A’s are “still close enough to get over the hump” on a trade for Gray today, a source tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.  Joel Sherman notes that the two teams continue to talk, and quotes an “involved person” saying the Yankees have “pieces to make it work.”