Cincinnati Reds trade Sonny Gray to Minnesota Twins for Chase Petty

The Cincinnati Reds made their first big move since the end of the Major League Baseball lockout, trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

The Reds received another right-handed pitcher, 18-year-old Chase Petty, the Twins’ first-round draft pick last July, in the deal and also sent minor league pitcher Francis Peguero to the Twins.

“I’d like to thank Sonny for everything he’s done for our club,” Reds General Manager Nick Krall said. “He’s been a tremendous teammate, a tremendous player and just a really great guy to have. Talking to him was tough. We felt this was a good baseball deal for us. Chase Petty ... has a chance to be a high-end starting pitcher for a long time. We’re excited to have him.”

The Reds acquired Gray in a trade with the New York Yankees in 2019. He made the All-Star team in his first season when he was 11-8 with a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts.

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In the 60-game season of 2020, Gray was 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA. Last season, he made 26 starts and was 7-9 with a 4.19 ERA. Gray, 32, was 23-20 with a 3.49 ERA in three seasons. In nine seasons in the big leagues, he’s 82-72 with a 3.61 ERA.

Gray signed a three-year contract extension worth $30.5 million when the Reds traded for him in 2019. He will make $10.2 million in 2022.

Petty graduated from Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, N.J., in 2021. He had a 1.48 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings as a senior. He made two appearances in the Florida Complex League last year after being drafted, allowing three earned runs in five innings. The Twins selected him with the 26th overall pick in the first round.

Krall said Petty has a “big fastball, 95 to 100 (mph) and a good slider. ... He’s a premier athlete on the mound and has a chance to be a real impact player.”

Peguero, 24, pitched for the Dayton Dragons last season. He was 1-1 with a 4.96 ERA in 28 appearances.

The Reds have two spots to fill in their starting rotation from last season with the trade of Gray and departure of Wade Miley, who was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in November.

Krall said Sunday top prospects Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, among others in camp, will vie for the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. The top three spots in the rotation figure to be manned by Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle and Vladimir Gutierrez.