When the Yankees finally — and mercifully — flipped Sonny Gray to the Reds in the offseason, it wasn’t just a dump to get the struggling starting pitcher out of the Bronx.

And it’s looking like it might pay off.

Outfielder Josh Stowers has turned some heads at Low-A Charleston this season, according to manager Julio Mosquera.

“I like him a lot,” Mosquera said in a phone interview recently. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s very fast. He’s a very smart individual.”

Stowers, 22, has put up solid numbers for the Riverdogs so far. The Yankees acquired him they flipped minor-league second baseman Shed Long, their initial return from Cincinnati for Gray, to the Mariners.

Gray's tenure with the Yankees had been a disaster. After they acquired him from the A's at the 2017 trade deadline, he went just 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA and was booted from the rotation toward the end of the 2018 season. He's been a little better with the Reds, going 3-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 15 starts.

As of Wednesday night, Stowers had hit .259 with six home runs, 17 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 48 games. The 22-year-old has excelled at all three outfield positions, Mosquera said.

MLB Pipeline ranks Stowers the Yankees’ No. 22 overall prospect. Seattle drafted him in the second round (No. 54 overall) in 2018 out of the University of Louisville.

It’s possible Stowers could finish the season at High-A Tampa.

“He’s got an ability to take pitches, he’s got really good pitch recognition,” Mosquera said of Stowers, who had a .358 on-base percentage. “It helps him a lot that he’s got tremendous speed when he’s on the bases. He can steal bags.

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“Everyday he’s out there, doing his job. We try to play him at all three (outfield) positions. We’re trying to rotate guys all the time, and he’s been improving a lot. In the beginning, he was learning some things in the organization that we teach, and he’s more comfortable with it. The more he goes out there, the better he looks. And he can get to some balls quickly and make good decisions in the field.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.