Reds right-hander Sonny Gray underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies from his right elbow today, the team announced. The procedure isn’t expected to impact his offseason training regimen, nor should it have any sort of impact on his availability for the beginning of Spring Training.
Cincinnati’s decision to buy low on Gray, who’ll turn 30 this winter, proved to be one of the best moves made by any team this winter. The Reds bet big on Gray not only by trading Shed Long and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to obtain the former Oakland ace but also by inking him to a three-year, $30.5MM extension that covers the 2020-22 seasons.
Gray put a forgettable 2018 season with the Yankees squarely in the rear-view mirror by not simply returning to his 2017 form but arguably by delivering the best season of his career. Through 175 1/3 innings, the 2011 first-rounder logged a 2.87 ERA (3.43 FIP, 3.65 xFIP) with a career-high 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Gray’s average of 3.5 walks per nine frames was up from the 2015 season in which he finished third in American League Cy Young voting, but he also managed to allow just 0.87 homers per nine innings pitched. That’s a strong number in any season but is particularly impressive when pitching in the cozy confines of Great American Ball Park during 2019’s record-setting home run boom.
With Gray and midseason acquisition Trevor Bauer now in the plans for 2020, joining holdovers Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani, the Reds look to have the foundation for an extremely strong starting staff in place. There’ll be work to do elsewhere on the roster this winter, but the Reds’ pitching next season could be more formidable than at any point in recent memory.
I sure hope the Reds’ brass doesn’t sit on their hands this offseason. They need to make good on the Bauer deal and reinforce the balance of the roster for a strong run in 2020. Bauer clearly won’t sign a LTC with the Reds (nor could they likely afford him) so the Reds need to capitalize on the aforementioned very very strong 2020 rotation but roster stagnation would be absolutely deflating.
Bauer has said that he will only sign one year contracts once he reaches free agency.
I know – that’s why I said he clearly won’t sign a LTC.
such a sensitive guy you are.
Hogwash
Balderdash. Even more sensitive than I originally thought. I was only Reinforcing what you had said and not correcting you. I’m gonna eat my dinner now. I’ll check back later.
Don’t feed
the trolls!
You just repeated what
mattp wrote…..
Tycobb reiterated mattp’s comment
Stay out of it jorge. Doesn’t concern you. And your contribution was trolling in its purest form.
Who…thanks for clearing that up tycobb016
For a second I thought the reds might sign Bauer to a LTC
Dhud you must be another left wing democrat socialist. good luck with that you chooch.
Don’t bring politics into this.
Are you sure Bauer will be more than a very inconsistent pitcher, with one or two effective starts, then several horrendous starts, then only God knows. Bauer hasn’t given the Reds many reasons to cheer since his acquisition. And he certainly has not lived up to his own opinion of his talents expressed prior to this season.
Scary to think Scott Moss might be the steal of that trade.
I’m glad sonny found his stuff again. If I’m a reds fan though, you’ve got to wonder if this is his best season and if it was “wasted” on a non competitive year. I think the reds could be a sleeper team next year, but the pitching will have to be as good as this year, which will be difficult to replicate
They should go for it for sure. The Cubs and Brewers both stumbled this year so who knows how they’ll be, and the Cardinals will be another year older. Pittsburgh will be in the basement for a long time.