Cardinals Predicted To Move $75 Million Man As Trade Speculation Heats Up

It's going to be an offseason full of changes for St. Louis.

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 2025 season is over for the St. Louis Cardinals. They went 78-84 and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year. Chaim Bloom is now in charge of baseball operations, with John Mozeliak set to step away after leading the charge since 2008. Big changes are expected to occur this offseason in St. Louis, as the Cardinals will officially begin a rebuild that will likely take multiple years.

Several key players could be traded this winter, including players that have no-trade clauses and previously refused to waive them last offseason, believing St. Louis still had the talent to win.

Among those players is right-hander Sonny Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract prior to 2024. Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants predicts that Gray will be one of the players shipped out.

Cardinals Expected To Trade 3x All-Star During Rebuild

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"While the ERA has not been what we hoped it would be when Gray signed in St. Louis, the almost 36-year-old had a ton of encouraging signs underneath the hood that should make him an attractive trade candidate for opposing teams. Since becoming a Cardinal, Gray ranks fifth in all of baseball in K-BB% (23%), sixth K% (28.4%) and BB% (5.4%), seventh in FIP (3.26), tenth in fWAR (7.4), and 21st in innings pitched (347), all while carrying the fifth-highest BABIP allowed (.315). All of those advanced metrics point to better success awaiting Gray, and while getting another year older may mitigate some of that, I do still think Gray will be more impactful in the traditional metrics next year," Jacobs wrote.

Gray went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 32 starts this season. He also recorded 201 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings of work. While far from the ace he was expected to be, teams will show interest in him. The Cardinals may have to eat some money in order to maximize their return for Gray, but trading him could clear some salary space for 2026.

The 35-year-old is a three-time All-Star and was signed by the Cardinals after a Cy Young-caliber season in 2023. He has been a steady force for innings and has been a solid strikeout pitcher for St. Louis.

Gray stated after his last start that he was reconsidering waiving his no-trade clause after things hadn't worked out in St. Louis.

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