Sonny Gray Reunion? Not so fast, Cardinals fans

Sonny Gray would check a lot of boxes for the Cardinals, but fans shouldn't expect a reunion.

Sep 11, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches in the top of the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot to look forward to after the 2026 season. Despite their record being one game worse than 2025, fans certainly aren't feeling that way. This is a young team that has taken a lot of steps forward and is looking to take the next step in the future. It may take a few years, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Free agency will be an interesting time for the Cardinals. They didn't do anything crazy last offseason in terms of signing players, but still supplemented their roster with players like Dustin May and Ryne Stanek.

Some fans are hoping for a Sonny Gray reunion, but Derrick Goold explained why that is highly unlikely.

"There is a significant part of the discussion that Gray brought up shortly before agreeing to a trade that sent him to Boston. He wants to win," Goold wrote. "There were reports in Boston this season that he was at least considering/pondering retirement at the end of the season, and Gray has said a few times that when his family wants him home more, he’s headed home, period. The Boston Globe recently reported that he wants to pitch in 2027, and that checks out with what I’ve been told – but his aim to win hasn’t changed."

Sonny Gray won't return to Cardinals in 2027

Sep 1, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals are certainly closer to getting back to their winning ways now than they were at the end of last season. They now have a young core established that will lead them into the future and be built around when the time is right.

However, it appears that not only have Gray's motivations not changed, but the Cardinals also aren't going to abandon their plan. Ultimately, that is a smart choice by the organization.

Rebuilds take time, and even though the product on the field may not be the best at the moment, there are reasons to believe that it will be better very soon, just maybe not in 2027. There also are more reasons for fans to show up to Busch Stadium to see the young Cardinals in action going forward.

While 2027 may not be their year, they can still take more steps forward. The future is bright, and Chaim Bloom choosing to stick with the plan is ultimately going to pay dividends for St. Louis in a few years.

There's no denying that Gray would make the Cardinals better, and a one-year deal might not be the worst idea. There are reasons fans see it as a possibility and why it could work out. But it just doesn't appear likely to happen.