The Minnesota Twins have acquired RHP Sonny Gray and minor league pitcher Francis Peguero from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Chase Petty. Petty (18) is a 6’1” RHP taken by the Twins in the first round (26th overall) of the 2021 MLB draft. He was listed as MLB.com’s 27th best prospect in the 2021 draft class.
Gray went 7-9 in 26 appearances for the Reds in 2021, posting a 4.19ERA and 1.22WHIP. The 32 year old managed to punch out 155 batters through 135.1IP, but missed the beginning of the year with a back injury, and a lingering groin injury cost him time down the stretch as well.
The righty is under contract for 2022 to the tune of $10.3M, and in 2023 for $12M before becoming a free agent in his age 34 season. Gray began his career with the Athletics before joining the Yankees in a largely forgettable stint in the Big Apple.
After being dealt to the Reds for a pittance, the former Vanderbilt Commodore enjoyed a bounce back season in 2019 posting a 2.87ERA across 175.1IP while fanning 205 batters. His efforts earned him an All-Star selection as he helped keep the Reds somewhat competitive down the stretch.
Gray helped the Reds reach the postseason for the first time in 7 years in 2020, ultimately losing to the Braves in the Wildcard round. The Twins offering up last year’s top pick for the former Reds services indicates how highly they think of the righty.
Gray is likely to slot in as a top of the rotation pitcher in Minnesota alongside Dylan Bundy, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Randy Dobnak. The Twins finished last in the AL Central in 2021 with a 73-89 record and are likely continuing to work the phones in an effort to bolster their roster as Spring Training begins to ramp up.
Minnesota kicks off their regular season on April 7th against the Seattle Mariners.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.