Days after Brian Cashman hinted that the Yankees might hang on to Sonny Gray, trade rumors began to circulate around the right-hander. According to Jon Heyman, the Reds maintain interest in Gray, while the Yankees have their eyes set on Cincinnati’s upper-level pitching prospects. Heyman identified right-handers Tony Santillan, Vladimir Gutierrez, and Keury Mella as some of New York’s targets.
Santillan, 21, split his time between High-A and Double-A in 2018, pitching to a 3.08 ERA (3.69 FIP) over 149 innings. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the Reds’ number five prospect, and provided glowing remarks on his stuff:
“Santillan’s plus plus fastball will touch the upper-90s consistently with good movement and will always be his best pitch.