Cardinals-Braves Trade Speculation Heating Up As Chaim Bloom Takes Over

The Cardinals could ship off one of their best players this offseason...

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have officially handed over the reins of their team to Chaim Bloom.

With Bloom in control of the team, the Cardinals have a lot of trade rumors swirling around their team. Their ace, Sonny Gray, has been mentioned as a potential trade option for the past few weeks, but these rumors will likely only heat up as the offseason begins.

FanSided's Chris Landers recently listed the Atlanta Braves as the top trade fit for Gray in the offseason.

Sonny Gray trade speculation heating up; Braves make sense as a fit

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

"This has been the rumored fit from even well before Gray signaled a willingness to consider a trade from St. Louis," Landers wrote. "And it's not hard to see why: Atlanta checks just about every box on paper, from payroll space (the departures of Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias will clear a whole lot of money for Alex Anthopoulos to work with) to need in the rotation (AJ Smith-Shawver might miss all of next year, and there's simply too much injury risk for the Braves to go into 2026 with so little depth behind Spencer Strider, Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach) to proximity to Gray's home in Tennessee.

"You'd have to think that, if Gray were willing to waive his no-trade clause for any team, this would be the one. And Atlanta cannot afford to go another offseason without adding a pitcher of note. This one makes almost too much sense not to come to fruition."

Gray has a no-trade clause, which could complicate this idea, but he might be willing to waive that clause for a deal to his hometown Braves. At the end of the day, this potential deal hinges on whether Gray would waive his no-trade clause.

But if he does, the Cardinals would be smart to move him. They could likely net a solid prospect or two in return while clearing a lot of money off the payroll.

For the Braves, the deal would make sense, too. Atlanta needs to bolster its pitching staff with reliable veteran arms and Gray could be one of the best options on the market. If the Braves can bring him in on an affordable deal, this makes as much sense as any.

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