Former Twins first-round pick, moved in Sonny Gray trade, set for MLB debut

22-year-old Chase Petty will make his first MLB start for the Reds on Wednesday. The Twins also got quite a bit of value out of the 2022 trade that sent him to Cincinnati.

Mar 4, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Petty against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Minnesota Twins first-round pick Chase Petty will make his first MLB start for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday evening. Traded to Cincinnati in the March 2022 deal that brought Sonny Gray to Minnesota, the 22-year-old Petty could have a bright future in the big leagues. At the same time, the Twins got their fair share of value out of that trade — and its impact on their future hasn't ended.

The Twins took Petty, a New Jersey prep pitcher with a big right arm, 26th overall in 2021 (one spot ahead of Padres All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill, it must be noted). Petty threw a total of just five innings for the Twins organization over two appearances in rookie ball that year. The following spring, he was dealt to the Reds for Gray, who was a 32-year-old, two-time All-Star starting pitcher. It was a win-now move for a Minnesota team looking to bolster its rotation.

Gray went on to have two very strong seasons for the Twins. He was quite good in 2022, recording a 3.08 ERA across 24 starts, and he was brilliant in 2023. That year, Gray pitched to a 2.79 ERA and 5.6 WAR across 32 starts. He was selected to his third All-Star team and finished second in AL Cy Young voting behind the Yankees' Gerrit Cole. Gray then went five scoreless innings in the second game of the Twins' wild card series against the Blue Jays, helping Minnesota win a postseason round for the first time in 21 years. By WAR, it was the best season by a Twins starting pitcher since Johan Santana's second Cy Young win in 2006.

Meanwhile, Petty was progressing through the minor leagues with Cincinnati. He was dominant in the lower minors in 2023 and was off to a strong start to this season at Triple-A after an up-and-down 2024. Petty ranks as the No. 6 prospect in the Reds' system and has the stuff to potentially pitch in the big leagues for a long time, though that's obviously far from a certainty.

After the 2023 season, Gray signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. He won 13 games for them last year and struck out 203 batters, and the 35-year-old is off to a solid start to the 2025 season, using his command and pitch mix to make up for a lack of velocity. Still, he brought significant value to the Twins, both during his two years as one of their frontline starting pitchers and in his departure.

Gray's contract with St. Louis resulted in the Twins receiving a compensatory first-round selection, No. 33 overall, in the 2024 MLB draft. They used that pick on Louisiana Lafayette infielder Kyle DeBarge, who looks like a potential future big-league player. In 20 games this season with High-A Cedar Rapids, he has slashed .267/.360/.442 with two home runs, two triples, and a perfect 11-for-11 mark on stolen bases. DeBarge, who turns 22 this summer, ranks as the No. 12 prospect in the Twins' organization and has a good chance to earn a promotion to Double-A Wichita before long.

Starting Wednesday, it'll be interesting to see what Petty becomes in the big leagues. That's a trade that has a chance to work out well for both sides, especially if DeBarge contributes for Minnesota down the line. Gray may have only spent two years with the Twins, but his incredible 2023 season and role on that special, streak-breaking team won't be quickly forgotten.