Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals $75M Star Called 'Ideal' Option To Replace Braves' Max Fried

Will the Cardinals cut ties with the star hurler?
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsAtlanta Braves

There are plenty of teams looking for starting pitching help this winter.

There are more teams looking for pitching help than top-tier options out there. Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell are the top three pitchers available in free agency. It's too early to know where they will land, but once they do, the trade market surely will pick up.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be a team to watch when this becomes a reality. St. Louis has star pitcher Sonny Gray entering the second year of a three-year, $75 million deal. The Cardinals have had plenty of trade chatter swirling around the team, although Gray reportedly has made it known that he would prefer to stay.

If he changes his mind, though, MLB.com's Will Leitch suggested the Atlanta Braves as the "ideal fit."

"They inked Gray to a three-year, $75 million deal (plus a club option) last November, and while Gray wasn’t the Cy Young contender he was in 2023, he was a linchpin of the Cardinals' staff, giving them 166 1/3 innings and a 3.84 ERA," Leitch said. "We’ve of course also seen him have ace stuff many times, including in '24; he’s a bonafide postseason starter and a rotation cog that every team wants.

"He’s more expensive in 2025 and '26 than he was in '24 -- the Cardinals still owe him $60 million of that $75 million -- but it’s unlikely that any team can go out and find a Sonny Gray-caliber pitcher on the free-agent market for just a two-year commitment. Wouldn’t he be an ideal fit for the Braves if they lose Max Fried to free agency? Gray is even from Tennessee and has cited a desire to stay close to home."

Although Gray seemingly wants to stay, he could always change his mind. Hopefully, that doesn't become the case.

More MLB: Cardinals $87M Star Still Could Cut Ties With St. Louis, Per Insider

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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