3 Sonny Gray Landing Spots As Offseason Trade Buzz Heats Up

The Cardinals could try to trade Sonny Gray in the offseason if he waives his no-trade clause.

Aug 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of big decisions to make during the offseason. They're headed for a rebuild, which means they could trade veterans like Sonny Gray. In fact, there has been quite a lot of trade buzz circulating around Gray this year.

But the righty has a no-trade clause, and it doesn't seem like he's going to waive it. But if he does, the Cardinals would be very smart to move him. It would clear up a lot of money off their books while also freeing a spot in the rotation for a prospect pitcher like Quinn Mathews going forward.

If Gray waives his no-trade clause, which three teams make sense as a landing spot for the righty?

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox could be a suitor for Gray.

They have a few prospect pitchers coming up that have shown a solid ability to compete at the big league level, but adding a true No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet would be a massive move to make.

The Red Sox will likely use free agency to add bats to the lineup, either by signing Alex Bregman on a new deal or a slugger like Kyle Schwarber. This could cause them to turn to the trade market for an arm like Gray.

San Francisco Giants

Jun 23, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have recently been connected to Gray, reportedly having real interest in trading for him. Pair this with the idea that the Cardinals would benefit from moving Gray, and there's real reason for speculation here.

The Giants need to add starting pitching and Gray would be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 in San Francisco after they traded a few starters to land Rafael Devers.

The only issue here could be Gray's no-trade clause, which could be a problem across the board. If Gray is willing to waive it, the Giants are the favorites to land him.

Atlanta Braves

If Gray was only going to waive his no-trade clause for one team, it would likely be his hometown Atlanta Braves.

This would put Gray closer to home, like he reportedly would like to be. It would also boost Atlanta's rotation by quite a bit, especially with all the question marks going forward.

Atlanta has the money and the need to add a veteran pitcher. This idea makes as much sense as any in baseball, as long as Gray is willing to waive his no-trade clause.

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