CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 14: Sonny Gray #54 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on August 14, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The 2018 Yankees had bad, bad versions of Lance Lynn and Sonny Gray. Both men are now among the top 10 (5?) pitchers in baseball.
At the 2018 trade deadline, the Yankees acquired the pitcher with the third-most pitching WAR and second-best ERA in the American League so far in 2020.
This was only adding to their embarrassment of riches, though; after all, at the 2017 deadline, they’d also imported the man who leads the league in strikeouts, and someone who currently holds an ever-growing MLB record for most consecutive starts with under six hits allowed.