Minnesota Twins' Ace Named Finalist For Cy Young Award
On the same day that he was given a qualifying offer by the team, Minnesota Twins ace Sonny Gray was named a finalist for the American League Cy Young award.
The veteran is a finalist alongside New York Yankees' ace Gerrit Cole and Toronto Blue Jays' ace Kevin Gausman.
The 33-year-old righty went 8-8 this season and helped the Twins win the American League Central. They also won a wild card series against the Toronto Blue Jays before bowing out in the ALDS. Gray pitched to a 2.79 ERA.
It's good to see him earn a finalist spot despite not having gaudy win totals. Cole is expected to win the award, which would be his first.
Gray just finished his 11th season in the big leagues with the A's, Yankees, Reds and Twins. He's 98-85 lifetime with a 3.47 ERA. He is a three-time All-Star. He figures to be one of the most coveted pitchers on the free agent market this offseason. Now that the Twins have extended him a qualifying offer though, he's tied to draft pick compensation. This could make some teams leery of going after him, but there should be a strong market no matter what.
Given his age, Gray is unlikely to get a five or six-year deal, but he should have no problem getting a three-year deal at least. He has said how much he enjoys Minnesota, so there certainly is a chance that he could be back with the Twins in 2024 and beyond.
The award gets announced on November 15th.
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