In what appears a step toward a trade, the A’s altered their rotation and are starting Jharel Cotton on Sunday instead of Sonny Gray.
Manager Bob Melvin said Gray was pushed back a day and is penciled in to start Monday night against the Giants, but it’s highly possible he’ll no longer be with the A’s by game time.
The trade deadline is Monday at 1 p.m., so any team to acquire him would prefer he not make his next start for Oakland.
“I guess there is the potential for that if you’re looking at it all around,” Melvin said, “but for us, we felt like regardless, it’s the prudent thing to do.