On July 31, 2017, the Yankees sent three solid prospects to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Sonny Gray, who was expected to immediately stabilize New York’s starting rotation. At the time, it seemed like a smart deal for the Yankees, who were acquiring a formidable right-hander who had been an All-Star in 2015. Not much later, General Manager Brian Cashman made it clear that he was ready to trade Gray elsewhere. The Yankees announced that they had sent Gray and a minor league pitcher to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a second-base prospect, Shed Long, and a draft pick. In a subsequent trade, the Yankees then shipped Long to Seattle in exchange for the outfielder Josh Stowers, who was rated the Mariners’ 10th-best prospect.

Source: New York Times January 22, 2019 02:00 UTC