Cardinals Reportedly Outbid Division Rival To Win Sonny Gray Sweepstakes
The St. Louis Cardinals made headlines on Monday morning for making a big splash -- acquiring right-hander Sonny Gray to lead their rotation into the 2024 season and beyond.
The bidding war reportedly was a close one as St. Louis successfully staved off an inter-division rival.
"According to a source, the (Cincinnati) Reds were pursuing Sonny Gray and were close before he went to the Cardinals on a reported 3-year, $75 million deal," MLB.com's Mark Sheldon wrote Monday.
Gray played for the Reds from 2019-2021 and posted a 3.49 ERA across 68 starts. The 33-year-old hurler collected one of his three All-Star nods in Cincinnati, as well as a seventh-place finish in American League Cy Young voting.
The right-hander's following tenure with the Minnesota Twins was even stronger -- 2.90 ERA in 56 starts across two seasons -- and he's now hoping to continue his dominance in a Cardinals uniform.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was wise to do what it took to land a frontline starter of Gray's caliber, especially if the dynamic veteran almost ended up in the hands of a division rival.
After a disappointing last-place finish in the National League Central, St. Louis is better off risking possibly overspending instead of staying conservative. That said, $25 million a year for a frontline starter in 2023 is far from ludicrous.
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