Yankees acquire 2B Shed Long from Cincinnati
The New York Yankees announced Monday that they have acquired 2B Shed Long and a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Sonny Gray and LHP Reiver Sanmartín.
Long, 23, hit .261/.353/.412 (118-for-452) with 75R, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 12HR, 56RBI, 57BB and 19SB in 126 games for Double-A Pensacola, where he was named a 2018 Southern League Mid-Season All-Star. He also played for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League and participated in the league's Rising Stars Game. Following the 2018 season, the left-handed hitter was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Reds organization by Baseball America.
A native of Birmingham, Ala., Long is a career .272/.353/.435 (445-for-1,635) hitter with 231R, 86 doubles, 15 triples, 50HR, 211RBI, 188BB and 54SB in 457 minor league games. He began his career as a catcher before converting to an infielder prior to the 2015 season.
Long was originally selected by the Reds in the 12th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.
Gray, 29, went 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA (130.1IP, 71ER) in 30 games (23 starts) for the Yankees in 2018. He posted a 15-16 record and a 4.51 ERA (195.2IP, 98ER) in 41 games (34 starts) in two seasons for the Yankees (2017-18). The right-hander joined the Yankees in a four-player trade from the Oakland Athletics on July 31, 2017.
Sanmartín, 22, pitched at four levels in the Yankees organization in 2018, combining to go 5-7 with a 2.81 ERA (67.1IP, 65H, 29R/21ER, 4BB, 58K, 2HR) and one save in 13 games (10 starts) between Double-A Trenton, short-season Single-A Staten Island, Single-A Charleston and Single-A Tampa. He was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers in exchange for RHP Ronald Herrera on November 20, 2017.