5 teams that could steal Sonny Gray away from Twins in free agency
There are a few teams that might give Minnesota a run for its money in the Sonny Gray sweepstakes.
By Josh Hill
Atlanta Braves
Something important that Gray said during his exit interview with the Twins this season was that money won't pilot his free agency journey. He has no doubt earned one final big payday thanks to the season he had in Minnesota, but contending is going to be at the top of his list and the Atlanta Braves seem like a perfect fit in that regard.
Atlanta was blown up by Philadelphia in the NLDS this year, and that failure is likely to drive their offseason decisions. One major question for the team moving forward is what happens with the pitching staff, which might get overhauled this winter. Spencer Strider is locked in, Max Fried will be back after arbitration -- if not on a long-term deal -- and Bryce Elder is the young rising star.
There's a lot to like about that rotation, but it's missing a piece. Sonny Gray could step in and fill that role rather nicely the same way he did in Minnesota. He fits just about anywhere in the rotation, from a front-end starter to a guy who can settle into the middle of the rotation and just obliterate teams hoping to catch a break.
Gray was the No. 2 starter in Minnesota, which helped make him dangerous to the point of being a Cy Young candidate. Take away his rough game against the Astros in Game 4 and the idea of Gray in the postseason for Atlanta is the kind of thing that might take them over the top and avoid a meltdown like they saw against Philly this October.