Cardinals Reportedly Outbid Pair Of Potential Suitors In Sonny Gray Sweepstakes
The St. Louis Cardinals knew they would have to aggressively compete for starting pitching going into this year's offseason.
Spending big money to replenish the Cardinals' decimated rotation was in the organization's winter forecast after a tumultuous 2023 season.
The most notable purchase made by the Cardinals so far is right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray -- a talent who was highly pursued by other franchises.
The Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals made offers to Gray but were outbid by the Cardinals according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Gray played for the division rival Reds from 2019-2021 and posted a 3.49 ERA across 68 starts -- earning him an All-Star nod as well as a seventh place in American League Cy Young voting.
The 34-year-old's success continued after being traded to the Minnesota Twins where he recorded a 2.90 ERA in 56 starts across two seasons -- nearly winning an AL Cy Young after finishing second place in votes last season.
The highly credentialed pitcher elected free agency this offseason in search of the payday he deserved and luckily the Cardinals were able to meet that benchmark.
St. Louis signed Gray to a hefty three-year, $75 million contract that was mysteriously backloaded.
Signing Gray was a bold move by the Cardinals and hopefully, his acquisition will prove to aid the Cardinals' efforts in making 2024 a winning season.
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