OAKLAND — Even when buried in the American League West standings, the A’s remain one of the majors’ most intriguing stories this time of year.
Multiple reports surfaced Saturday that the Yankees had emerged as the front runners to acquire Oakland starter Sonny Gray, with the New York Post suggesting a deal could materialize by Sunday.
That doesn’t mean the A’s aren’t talking to other clubs about the prized right-hander, who is resembling his All-Star form of 2015 and comes with two years of team control beyond this year, making him the most talked-about trade chip in the majors as Monday’s 1 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline draws near.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But the Yankees clearly are the front-runners.
Before Saturday night’s 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins, manager Bob Melvin announced that Gray would have his start pushed back from Sunday to Monday. Officially, Melvin said it was a chance to give Gray an extra day of rest, with Jharel Cotton ready to come off the disabled list. Cotton will take the ball Sunday.
But that switch, undoubtedly, is all about a potential trade. Pushing Gray back buys more time for the A’s to try to hammer out specifics of a deal. It also eliminates the risk of Gray getting injured before a trade is completed.
It was noteworthy that Gray delivered the lineup card to home plate before Saturday’s game. That’s something Melvin has had him do before, a duty he’s given to other players as well, but one couldn’t help but wonder if the timing of this decision was more than coincidence.
Athletics
Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
If the 27-year-old righty isn’t dealt before the deadline, he will start Monday night’s Bay Bridge Series opener against the Giants at the Coliseum. If he’s traded, Paul Blackburn figures to move up in the rotation and take the ball for that game. The rookie would still be on regular four days’ rest.
Melvin was asked before the game if this deadline felt any different than others. The A’s have made just one deal so far but have Gray, first baseman Yonder Alonso and second baseman Jed Lowrie among their potential trade chips. So there’s a sense that there still could be considerable activity before the Monday afternoon cutoff.
“It kind of consumes the whole day if that’s what you want to keep your eye on, which I don’t,” Melvin said. “It’s no different than the last couple years. The three years previous to that (when the A’s were in contention) is the way I prefer it to go. But based on where we are in the standings, then any team in our position, you’re going to have to deal with a lot of this.”
Adding a bit of intrigue to the situation: The Yankees reportedly are also in discussions to acquire lefty Jaime Garcia from the Twins. But Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reported that acquiring Garcia would not take New York out of the running for Gray.
The A’s farm system is in need of a young, impact center fielder. A high-upside prospect, regardless of how close he is to being major league-ready, is their preference. The MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the A’s prefer 19-year-old Estevan Florial over a more highly rated outfielder in the Yankees’ system, Clint Frazier, because of Florial’s defensive prowess in center.
Surely the A’s are eyeing a multi-player return package for Gray that could also include pitching. A deal that sends both Gray and Alonso to the Yankees also is a possibility.