Blockbuster Cardinals Trade Idea Would Send $75 Million Ace To Hated Rival

Sonny Gray could be on the move this season.

Mar 27, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Sonny Gray is the best pitcher on the St. Louis Cardinals and it's been that way since the Cardinals brought him in ahead of the 2024 season. During his time in St. Louis, Gray has made 31 starts with a 3.90 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 106 ERA+, and 1.06 WHIP.

The righty has been consistent at the top of the Cardinals rotation, but he's now 35 years old and potentially headed for the backend of his career. St. Louis is seemingly entering a rebuild and Gray remains one of the only veterans on the roster. At this point, the Cardinals could be better off trading him, especially if they can get the other team to take on his entire contract.

While there would be a lot of suitors on the market if the Cardinals began to aggressively shop Gray, the Chicago Cubs stand out above the pack as the team who could make the most sense.

Chicago needed to add some pitching to its roster before the season started. The slow starts from Ben Brown and Jameson Taillon has put this weakness on display. To make matters even worse, Justin Steele suffered a season-ending injury early this week, depleting the Cubs' pitching staff to a new low.

With the Cubs likely to reach a new level of desperation, the Cardinals could take advantage in a rare interdivision trade.

Instead of paying Gray for the next year or two and then dumping him to a different team when he's 37 years old, the Cardinals could extract the most value out of him right now while the Cubs are chasing a National League Central title and the World Series.

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