Cardinals $75 Million All-Star Called 'Longshot' Trade Piece

The Cardinals have a lot of tough decisions to make in the not-so-distant future

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been in a lot of trade rumors but there hasn't been much to show for them yet.

Pretty much every veteran on St. Louis' roster has been mentioned in trade rumors at some point this offseason. Nolan Arenado has been the most prominent, but he isn't the only one. Once the Cardinals let it be known that they are trying to "reset" the team, the floodgates for trade speculation opened right up.

But who actually will be moved, though? No-trade clauses certainly have complicated things for the Cardinals this offseason but Arenado seems like a safe bet to be traded even with his no-trade clause.

Another player who was talked about early in the offseason was All-Star pitcher Sonny Gray. He also has a no-trade clause and there were reports that he wanted to stay. While this is the case, there is plenty of offseason left.

Just Baseball's Caleb Moody took a look at the roster and separated players into different categories based on the odds of a trade. He mentioned Gray in his "longshot deals" category.

"Gray falls into the same category as Arenado when it comes to a potential trade: He’s an aging and expensive star with a no-trade clause that will likely require money to be retained by St. Louis in any deal for him," Moody said. "But that’s not to say that Gray hasn’t been worth the investment for the Cardinals. While he didn’t have the same numbers in 2024 as he did in 2023, when he finished as the runner-up in (American League) Cy Young voting, he still turned in a more than respectable year on the mound...

"Ultimately the choice lies with Gray, and reports suggest that his preference may be to stay in St. Louis, but perhaps he can be convinced like Arenado has been to entertain a move away to the right suitor. And if that’s the case, the Cardinals should try to get as much back while Gray’s value is still high, in their pursuit to make room for their young talent."

Gray signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals and has two years left. A deal doesn't seem likely but nothing can be ruled out.

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