Chicago Cubs: No package of prospects is worth the A’s Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray isn’t worth the rumored packages the Cubs would need to part with to obtain his services

I’ve stood very firm in my belief that trading prospects for pitching a terrible proposition. The Chicago Cubs have been here before, ironically with the same team in the Oakland A’s. I’m sure you all recall that trade. The Cubs paired up the pitching in that deal by sending Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. The key returns? Addison Russell and Billy McKinney. Call to the Pen feels like the deal would benefit both teams. My initial thought is “are you kidding me”?

The rumors are a possible package of prospects as well as Starlin Castro and Kyle Hendricks would be enough to tempt the A’s and Billy Beane into making the deal. No, just ignore the fact that Beane is looking to exact some revenge for the last trade between these teams. But no, this is a great idea. Let’s trade a nice package for Gray. Is he a good pitcher? Of course he is. He’s 33-20 in his first three seasons with a 2.88 ERA. But trading the rumored “packages” is downright stupidity.

If you need a reference point. The A’s traded for the Cubs duo–looking like they were on the brink of something good. How did that work out? Yeah, they’re trying to trade with the team that took them for a ride and get their investment back.

The most sensible person in this entire situation is Beane himself. Beane told Peter Gammons in a recent interview:

Trading Gray is not something I think we could do,” Bean told Gammons. “We have to put a representative product on the field, and continue to dream we get a ballpark. We should have good pitching, with Gray, Jarrod Parker, Kendall Graveman, Jesse Hahn, Chris Bassitt, maybe Sean Manaea during the season. I just cannot see us trading Gray or (Josh) Reddick.”

If the Cubs present some ridiculous proposal for Gray though, Beane would surely accept. But that would mean that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer had lost their minds and the Cubs were heading down the rabbit hole. First you would trade away some current pieces as well as the future, just for the ability to try and sign Gray later on.

I’m not opposed to trading from the talent the Cubs have to acquire pitching, but now with the insane “demands” it is believed it would take to make this work. Trading Castro and Hendricks opens up another can of worms in itself. Javier Baez hasn’t exactly stepped up at second base. And Hendricks was probably the most productive pitcher at the back-end of that rotation. Acquiring Gray is great, but you’ll still be disappointed at the turn in the rotation.

On the list of “terrible ideas” this winter, go ahead and write this one down with a sharpie.