Astros Floated As a Potential Trade Suitor For Cardinals' $75 Million Ace

The Astros and Cardinals could make sense as trade partners this winter...

Apr 15, 2019; Milwaukee, WI, USA; A cap rests on the dug out wall with the number 42 on the hat in honor of Major League Baseball s Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are headed for a rebuild this season. They're expected to make some big moves this winter, potentially including a few big trades.

Cardinals ace Sonny Gray makes a lot of sense as a trade chip this winter, but his no-trade clause and large contract puts that idea in question. Gray is reportedly open to being traded this year, which has caused these rumors to heat up over the last few weeks.

Drew Koch of Climbing Tal's Hill recently suggested the Astros could be a trade suitor for Gray in the offseason.

Astros could be a trade suitor for Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray

Sep 24, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

"The Astros rotation was leveled by injuries in 2025, ad 2026 is already shaping up to be more of the same," Koch wrote. "Though Houston is expecting J.P. France, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. to be full strength by the time spring training rolls around, the same cannot be said for Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, and Luis Garcia.

"If the Astros were able to work out some sort of trade for Gray — one that allowed St. Louis to foot the bill for at least half of his 2026 salary — the Cardinals may be willing to move on from the soon-to-be 36-year-old righty. Gray also represents a low-cost trade in terms of prospect captial — something the Astros have very little of. Houston's farm system is among the worst in the league, so a couple low-end prospects could be enough to entice the Cardinals to make a trade if it means getting at least half Gray's salary off their ledger for 2026."

The Astros could use some additional pitching on their big-league roster, especially considering Framber Valdez is set to enter free agency this winter. Houston needs top level pitching and Gray would be one of the cheapest options to trade for. It would likely only take a few mid level prospects to land the righty.

For the Cardinals, dumping any of Gray's money for prospects would be beneficial for the future. The prospects could come in and make a difference at the minor league level while it would also open up a spot in the rotation for one of the top pitching prospects.

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