Three aces in the Red Sox trade fountain

Sep 25, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws to the San Francisco Giants in the second inning of their MLB baseball game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Sonny Gray: 14-7, K/9 7.31, BB/9 2.55, 2.73 ERA. 1.08 WHIP, 3.45 FIP, xFIP 3.69, 3.8 WAR.

Why would Oakland even consider trading Gray? Gray will not get blessed with free agency until 2020 and arbitration beckons in 2017. Then again, the A’s and Billy Beane are notorious for shuffling players hither and yon on a whim. But the whim is usually based in logic that may be one step ahead of others.

Beane is historically amicable to young controllable talent that can be moved either pronto or down the road a year or two or three. The Red Sox have the bobbles that would entice Beane and the two organizations have swapped players before. Gray, a 25-year-old right-hander, is coming off back-to-back ace level seasons and rumors abound of Gray being tossed onto the available board.

Gray could have been a moot issue if the Red Sox had picked Gray up in the 2011 draft if their drafting order had been flipped with the A’s. No Gray in the first round and the selection became Matt Barnes. That is the breaks of the draft and the Red Sox certainly had their lust back then. But that was then and this is now and the possibility is presenting itself.

A pitcher’s best friend is not the double play, but a spacious ballpark and the Oakland mausoleum is just that. In Fenway Park mistakes become souvenirs while in Oakland a routine fly ball. Well, Gray has allowed 25 home runs at Oakland and 11 on the road in his career. Gray’s ERA, WHIP, BB and K totals are very favorable on the road. Gray has ventured onto the Fenway mound once for a small sample of six innings allowing two runs.

Gray fits the mold of an ace on the rise and would certainly should a prime target for Boston with his ability and youth. The price would be staggering.