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The MLB season is over after the Texas Rangers' thrilling World Series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. That's the whole point of this endeavor: to win the World Series. But with the World Series over, that means that free agency will soon be underway and teams can begin to plot out how to best construct a team that can bring them on the precipice of contention and that prestigious trophy. Someone who is poised to become a free agent and could help whatever team acquires him is Sonny Gray. Gray had a great season with the Minnesota Twins in 2023.
He posted a 2.79 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 5.4 WAR. His +3.3 strikeout per walk ratio was solid as well. He helped Minnesota not only make the postseason but advance into the NLDS. Gray could help a lot of teams, but who will be the ones who should acquire him? Two of his former teams stand out as teams who could really use a pitcher of Gray's caliber.
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Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds may have made the postseason if it weren't for their pitching. The Reds ranked 25th in the MLB in ERA (4.83), 18th in strikeouts, 25th in opponents' batting average (.257), and 25th in WHIP (1.42). They also were tied for 26th in quality starts. Cincinnati's pitching spoiled a great offense. The Reds ranked ninth in runs scored in 2023; the Chicago Cubs were the only non-playoff team that scored more than the Reds in 2023.
On a team level, the Reds' pitching wasn't very good. On an individual level, it wasn't much better. Andrew Abbott was the only starting pitcher on the Reds who pitched at least 50 innings and posted an ERA below four. Not that his ERA was much to brag about anyway at 3.87. Hunter Greene, the Reds' young pitching phenom, has showed signs and the talent to be an ace one day, but that hasn't happened yet. Greene battled injuries in 2023 and ended up with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.42.
One could make the case that no team needs to find pitching more so than the Cincinnati Reds. Sonny Gray was just there as recently as two seasons ago. Gray gradually regressed over his three seasons in Cincinnati. He went from a 2.87 ERA in 2019 to a 3.70 ERA to a 4.19. It's understandable why the Reds elected to move on from him at the time. But as things stand now, he'd be their best starting pitcher. With an offense as good as what they have, they should be doing anything in their power to bring back Gray.
New York Yankees
Before Sonny Gray was a Cincinnati Red, he was a New York Yankee. Like the Reds, the Yankees could absolutely use a pitcher of Gray's caliber. Well, they already have one in Gerrit Cole, but the Yankees need another one. The Yankees ranked fairly high in team pitching statistics in 2023; they ranked tenth in ERA (3.97), 12th in strikeouts (1,439), third in opponents' batting average (.234), and sixth in WHIP (1.24). Those numbers are good, right?
Yes, but they can be misleading. Those numbers are inflated by Cole and the Yankees' strong bullpen. While it's always a good thing to have a good bullpen, it isn't as great a luxury to have if a team's starting pitchers are putting that bullpen in a hole frequently, and that's what happened with the Yankees last season.
Gerrit Cole had a phenomenal 2023. He went 15-4 and across 209 innings pitched, Cole ended with a 2.63 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, a +4.68 strikeout per walk ratio, and a 9.6 strikeout per nine innings ratio. Those are all phenomenal numbers. But the rest of the Yankees' starters lagged far behind. No starter who pitched at least 40 innings and made at least 10 starts had an ERA below 4.50. That's almost impossible.
The Yankees are the most proud franchise in all of Major League Baseball. Missing the playoffs is an outright catastrophe for them. They can't afford to rest on their laurels in the offseason. They have to give Gerrit Cole and their bullpen some help. Maybe bringing back a familiar face in Sonny Gray would do the trick.
