Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Struck Gold, Landed Potential Star in Sonny Gray Trade

The Cardinals may have landed one of their next top pitchers in the trade that moved Sonny Gray...
Zach Pressnell|
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
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

In this story:

Boston Red SoxSt. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are in full rebuild mode at this point and they've made it quite clear with their actions this offseason.

The Cardinals opted to trade Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox to begin their offseason. Soon after, they sent Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a deal that seemed more like a minor salary dump than anything. To cap it off, the Cardinals traded Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team blockbuster.

They might not be done yet either. There are plenty of players the Cardinals could still look to trade, but their farm system has already taken a massive step forward. Their system is much better today than it was a year ago and these big trades are the main reason why.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently listed Cardinals prospect Brandon Clarke as the ninth best prospect who was traded this offseason. Clarke was traded from the Red Sox to the Cardinals in the deal that sent Gray to Boston.

Brandon Clarke could be a star prospect in the making

St. Louis Cardinals ha
Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Blister issues limited Clarke to 38 innings in his pro debut last season, but he flashed elite upside when healthy, striking out 60 of the 174 batters he faced while showcasing plus athleticism and elite arm talent," Reuter wrote. "There is a wide range of outcomes for his long-term profile, with some reliever risk and the ongoing health question marks, but if everything clicks he could be a top-of-the-rotation arm."

Clarke has a lively arm which sports a dominant fastball and potentially the best slider in the entire Cardinals organization. Injuries hindered him from a full season last year, but the limited results were very impressive.

Clarke was incredibly dominant when he was in and around the strike zone. He has a bit of an issue staying in the zone consistently, as he walked 27 hitters in 38 innings. But he also only allowed 17 hits and no home runs while striking out nearly two batters an inning. The results speak for themselves. The Cardinals may have landed a star in the Gray trade.

More MLB: Cardinals Hit Jackpot, Landed Exciting Star in Brendan Donovan Trade

Published
Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News