Report: Reds open to trading Gray; Castillo, Mahle 'off limits'

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Reds open to trading two-time All-Star SP Sonny Gray; SPs Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle 'off limits'

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 11/23/21

The Cincinatti Reds have put starting pitcher Sonny Gray on the trade market. They're reportedly not willing to move two of their other pieces of the starting rotation, though.

The Reds are said to be open (again) to trading Sonny Gray. But they've indicated to rival execs that Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo are off limits.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 23, 2021

Gray just finished his third season with the Reds, after opening his career with four-plus years with the Oakland Athletics and one-and-a-half seasons with the New York Yankees. The two-time All-Star has an 82-72 career record with a 3.61 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, while striking out 1,221 batters over 1,267.3 innings pitched.

The 32-year-old made his first All-Star team in 2015 with the A's, finished the season with a 14-7 mark and career-lows in ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.08), and was third in that year's AL Cy Young voting. Gray's other All-Star nod came during his first season with the Reds in 2019, as he went 11-8 with a 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and career-high 205 strikeouts in 175.3 innings pitched.

Castillo just wrapped up his fifth MLB season -- all with the Reds -- and went 8-16, but with a solid 3.98 ERA and decent 1.36 WHIP. The righty's best year was in 2019, as he too made the NL All-Star team and finished the season by setting career-highs in wins (15), innings pitched (190.7) and strikeouts (226).

Like Castillo, 2021 was Mahle's fifth season in the big leagues and all of them have been spent in Cincinatti. 2021 was by far Mahle's best campaign to date, as he posted career-best marks in wins (13), innings pitched (180) and strikeouts (210), while recording a solid 3.75 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

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