May 9th, 2019 at 7:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka ThinkBlueLA has learned through a trusted source that 21-year-old right-hander Josiah Gray has been promoted from the Dodgers Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League to their Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the highly-competitive California League.
If the name Josiah Gray sounds familiar to you, it well should. The 6′-1′ / 190-pound New Rochelle, NY native and second round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY, was the second of two key components that sent popular Dodgers outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, left-hander Alex Wood, and utility infielder / catcher Kyle Farmer to Cincinnati in exchange for Gray, highly touted middle infield prospect Jeter Downs, and 13-year MLB veteran right-hander Homer Bailey, whom the Dodgers promptly released.
Ironically, Downs began the 2019 season at Rancho Cucamonga, this despite being almost a year younger than Gray. However, the fact that Gray is currently ranked as the Dodgers 19th overall prospect by Baseball America may have something to do with the move … this plus the fact that he flat out dominated his Low Single-A competition.
(Photo credit – Alex Seder)
Taking the irony one step further, just this past Saturday it was announced that the Reds had unconditionally released the 34-year-old Kemp, even though he is in the final year of his 8-year / $160 million contract extension and owed $7 million this season. Kemp initially signed that contract extension with the Dodgers prior to the 2012 season, took it with him to San Diego and Atlanta, brought it back with him to the Dodgers, and took it with him to Cincinnati.
Getting back to Gray, in his five starts with the Loons, he was 1-0 with an excellent 1.93 ERA, having walked seven and struck out 26 over his 23.1 innings pitched. He limited opposing hitters to a scant .165 batting average without allowing a home run.
Although it is uncertain when Gray will make his debut with the Quakes, his last start with Great Lakes was on April 28 against the Dayton Dragons, where he picked up that one win while allowing only one run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts over his 6.0 innings of work.
Welcome to the first place Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Josiah!
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Posted in 
Looks like Friedman and Co. slickered another team.
I didn’t want to see Puig go. Thought Dodgers should sign him to a REASONABLE long-term contract. Boy was I wrong.
Dodgers management is number 1 in baseball, just like the Dodgers team.
Nah, Puig needed to go because he was already blocking Verdugo anyway. On top of that, Dodgers successfully beefed up their farm system even more by getting back Downs and Gray in that deal. It was arguably the best move they made over this past offseason, in my honest opinion.
😉
Spot on! I think we will look back on the trade that brought Gray and Downs to the Dodgers as one of the best ever for the Bums.
Agree with both of yooze guys!
Glad to read this good news of Gray moving up to the Quakes. I wish him all the luck he may need and looking forward to seeing him pitching for the Dodgers.
Knew he was on his way after finding out he was no longer on the Loons roster not too long ago. He’s gonna wind up becoming the ace of that Quakes staff rather quickly at his current pace. Can’t wait for more of those Loons players to follow him to Rancho as well this season (Hunter Feduccia, Dillon Paulson, and Niko Hulsizer in particular).
Speaking of the Loons, might want to write a piece about their rather historic start to their season so far. Can you believe they’re leading all of pro-baseball IN WALKS DRAWN!?!?!? Not MiLB, not even MLB, but ALL of pro-baseball! Big reason why they’ve gotten off to one of their best starts in franchise history this season, I figure. Simply amazing…
For me the best thing about the trade was seeing both Kemp and Puig being shipped away from the Dodgers but Gray so far as been outstanding,now on to the Quakers and more success.