Cincinnati :

With trade rumors surrounding the Cincinnati Reds involving the New York Yankees and starter Sonny Gray, it’s clear Cincy won’t be rebuilding that much longer.

Sure Gray didn’t pitch well in the Bronx last year, but being in the National should help his numbers with no designated hitter.

Plus, the added pressures of playing in New York will be removed from Gray’s shoulders.

The Reds would get another veteran player to accompany the likes of Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, Tanner Roark, and Joey Votto. This means that the Reds could put a more competitive team on the field and maybe flip some of those players for prospects.

Speeding up a rebuild has been something teams have done over the past six years or so.

The 2015 Cubs, ’15 Royals, and ’17 Astos each played much better than expected after okay or below average seasons.

With the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, and San Diego Padres being linked to star players in the past two years, it makes to be aggressive and find out how effective a team can be while enhancing a player’s stock.

Sonny Gray could be apart of the Reds for many years to come in a division where great starting pitching can be hard to find.

Cincinnati can showcase a new version of themselves that could draw plenty of interest from teams throughout baseball.

Just ask yourself this: If Sonny Gray performs the way he did in Oakland, how likely is it the Reds attract free agents?

With great players still on the market, it makes sense for them to go to a team with a solid rotation and the payroll flexibility to sign enough roster help in general.

The Reds can be aggressive and take risks because there’s no pressure on them now even with the losing they’ve been associated with.

If Gray ends up in Cincy, it only helps baseball by making sure another team will at least have a positive buzz around them before another long season.

It’s hard to find all-stars at every position so for Gray to come in with plenty of experience at the age of 29 it adds strength to Cincy’s rotation.

Who wants to start over at every position by relying heavily on young guys with little to no experience?

Teams like the Reds are understanding the importance of making sure talent remains on the diamond even when times are rough.