Gold Glove candidates: A's Gray, Reddick make cut

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The A’s landed two players as Gold Glove finalists in pitcher Sonny Gray and right fielder Josh Reddick.

The candidates were announced Thursday, with the winners to be unveiled Nov. 10.

Gray, who set a franchise record for putouts by a pitcher this season, is competing with Houston’s Dallas Keuchel and Toronto’s Mark Buehrle.

Reddick, the 2012 AL Gold Glove winner in right field and a finalist in 2013, is going against the Angels’ Kole Calhoun and J.D. Martinez of Detroit.

Gray got a strong endorsement from A’s manager Bob Melvin toward the end of the regular season. He’s considered one of the more athletic defenders among pitchers, and his 37 putouts were the most by a major league pitcher since Kevin Brown had 41 for the Dodgers in 1999. Gray didn’t commit an error in 60 chances.

Keuchel won last year’s Gold Glove, and Buehrle won four in a row from 2009-12. But Gray’s rising profile as one of the league’s best overall pitchers might help his cause. Managers and coaches vote for Gold Gloves – a sabermetric component also is used in determining the winners – and name recognition never hurts when its time to fill out ballots. Gray figures to also be among the leading vote getters for the AL Cy Young award too, though it’s expected to go to Keuchel or David Price.

Though Reddick enjoyed a fine year offensively, this wouldn’t be considered one of his strongest seasons in the field. His five errors tied Shin-Soo Choo and Torii Hunter for most among AL right fielders. He notched six assists – by comparison he had 15 when he won the award in 2012 – and opposing runners were more aggressive, and more successful, in taking the extra base off him. Reddick expressed his frustration at one point in the season over his struggles in throwing runners out, but he still has a reputation as one of the league’s best right fielders.

Martinez’s 15 assists ranked second among AL right fielders and Calhoun was third with 11. Neither has won a Gold Glove before.

Managers and coaches have already cast their votes.

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