Sunny Skies in Cincy

Sunny Skies in Cincinnati.

On Friday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Yankees and Reds were making progress on a potential deal that would send 29-year-old right-hander Sonny Gray to the Reds.

Jon Heyman of Fancred added fuel to the fire, indicating that the Yankees had shown interest in Reds’ prospects Shed Long and Tyler Stephenson. The Reds were reportedly reluctant to include Stephenson in the deal, so it sounds like the Bombers will wind up with Long, a competitive balance draft pick and perhaps an unidentified lower level prospect.

Long, a 23-year-old second baseman, was a 12th round pick of the Reds from the 2013 draft class. He hit .261/.353/.412 with 12 homers, 56 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 126 games at Double-A Pensacola in 2018. Long is a converted catcher who has developed into a bat-first second baseman. He is nearly ready for the major leagues but is blocked in Cincinnati by Scooter Gennett and Nick Senzel.

Not nearly the haul the Yanks were hoping for, but not too shabby.

Gray will make a $7.5 million salary in 2019 after going 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA and woeful 1.50 WHIP in 30 games (23 starts) last year for the Yankees. Based on those numbers we wouldn't expect Gray to net much of a return in trade value, but his xFIP was better at 4.10 and he owns a career ERA of 3.66 over six seasons.

The move to the National League, and a chance to be reunited with former college pitching coach Derek Johnson, should both help Gray’s fantasy outlook. Also, while he would be pitching half of his games in the Great American Ballpark, a noted hitters-haven, it’s basically a neutral move with him leaving Yankee Stadium.

The Reds are currently in an exclusive 72-hour negotiation window with Gray to try to work out a contract extension. If they are unable to do so before the end of the day on Monday, the Yankees could reopen trade talks with other interested teams including the Giants, Athletics, Brewers or Braves.

Rays snag Avisail Garcia

In a bit of an under-the-radar move, the Rays officially signed Avisail Garcia to a one-year, $3.5 million contract on Friday. The deal also includes incentives that could drive the contract as high as $6 million.

The former White Sox’ outfielder had a massive breakout in 2017 where he slashed .330/.380/.506 with 18 homers, 80 RBI and five stolen bases in 136 games. He floundered during an injury-plagued 2018 campaign in Chicago, but is still only 27-years-old and has plenty of upside remaining.

Garcia should find himself as the Rays’ everyday designated hitter, and should land a juicy run-producing spot in the middle of the Rays’ lineup. On the one-year pillow contract, and with motivation to prove himself, Garcia is an incredibly intriguing bounce-back candidate.

Garcia currently sports an ADP in the month of January of 437 in National Fantasy Baseball Championship drafts. That’s misleading for two reasons. Prior to being non-tendered by the White Sox, his ADP sat around 365 overall. Now, in a much better situation, his stock should soar from that spot, likely inside the top 300.

For savvy drafters, now is the time to profit. Drafters who are slaves to the current ADP will be looking at Garcia right around pick 400. If you snag him a round or two before then, there’s still ample room for profit, with enough upside that he could blow that valuation out of the water.

Dodgers eye Pollock

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday that the Dodgers had interest in free agent outfielder A.J. Pollock, then followed that up on Sunday by noting that the two sides were currently “in discussions” on a possible contract.

Pollock would provide the Dodgers with a right-handed bat to add to a left-handed-heavy lineup and allow them to play Cody Bellinger more at first base if that's what they'd prefer.

Pollock has averaged only 101 games and 402 plate appearances per season over the last six years due to wide array of injuries. While Pollock's injury history is a concern, Rosenthal correctly notes that the Dodgers could deal with his absence more easily than most clubs due to their depth and versatility.

The 31-year-old outfielder slashed .257/.316/.484 with 21 homers, 65 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 113 games with the Diamondbacks in 2018. The potential move to the Dodgers would hurt him from a power perspective, as Dodger Stadium would be a major downgrade for right-handed power, though hitting near the top of the star-studded Dodgers lineup could do wonders for his counting stats.

Pollock’s current ADP sits just outside the top 115 in mixed league drafts. If he were to sign with the Dodgers, it’s unlikely that his stock would change significantly.

Quick Hits: Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that there’s a mystery team in the bidding for superstar free agent Manny Machado, and they reportedly have the highest offer currently on the table…Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers have been discussing Joc Pederson in possible trades, and the White Sox are "one of clubs in those conversations."... The Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that the Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Phillies and Rays are among the teams pursuing Josh Harrison… Twins signed free agent left-hander Martin Perez to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with a club option for 2020… Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic writes that the Cubs have "bandied about the idea of trading Ben Zobrist this offseason.".. Dan Hayes of The Athletic believes that Fernando Romero will wind up as part of the Twins’ bullpen during the 2019 season and “could play an important role”... 34-year-old left-hander Ricky Romero officially announced his retirement from professional baseball. He sported a 4.16 ERA across 801 ⅓ innings over five seasons at the big league level with the Blue Jays… The Rays designated Oliver Drake for assignment, again… Yu Darvish (elbow) expects to be ready for Opening Day… Kris Bryant (shoulder) is now fully healthy and has been taking batting practice at full strength since December 1… Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes that Chris Sale said his shoulder is fully healthy again… Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Cardinals' brass intends to visit Marcell Ozuna in the Dominican Republic to check on his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery… Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that the Giants have been gauging trade interest in third baseman Evan Longoria… Cardinals' general manager John Mozeliak indicated Saturday that Luke Gregerson (shoulder) has "not felt right" during his throwing program this winter… Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that the Phillies maintain interest in free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas… The Reds and Red Sox are among the teams interested in free agent right-hander Shawn Kelley…. The Angels officially signed Cody Allen to a one-year, $8.5 million contract. Allen also has the potential to earn an additional $2.5 million in incentives. He’s expected to begin the season as the Angels’ closer.