With the St. Louis Cardinals tied for last place in the National League Central, the franchise may be in a position to sell before the trade deadline.
According to Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, Cardinals ace Sonny Gray should be “in the conversation” as a trade candidate.
“This is no time to be holding on to Cardinals stock in the hopes that it will pay off,” Rymer wrote in a May 13 column titled “panic moves MLB teams must avoid after slow starts.”
Gray, 34, inked a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals this offseason and has been a bright spot in a 17-24 season until May 13. Gray, a three-time All-Star and runner-up for Cy Young in 2023, has a 4-2 record with a 2.29 ERA.
Rymer also mentioned experienced pitchers Kyle Gibson, high-priced infielders Paul Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado, and closer Ryan Helsey as players who St. Louis should consider dumping this season.
“Yet, St. Louis should stop short of completely blowing up its roster, which is basically to say that the young, controllable guys should stick around,” the writer said.
Will Sonny Gray Be Gone Within a Year?
Gray was signed during the free agency offseason, joining fellow experienced right-handers Lynn and Gibson to strengthen a Cardinals staff that had a 4.79 ERA in 2023. They were added to the rotation, which also includes Miles Mikolas and lefty Steven Matz.
Gibson and Lynn have put up solid numbers, with ERAs of 3.67 and 3.79. Each is signed to a one-year contract, making them possible trade candidates if the Cardinals do not improve their season.
Gray, a former Minnesota Twin, New York Yankee, and Oakland Athletic, was quickly identified as the team’s ace and Opening Day starter. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, he suffered a hamstring strain in the second inning of his second exhibition start on March 4.
He missed Opening Day, but recovered fast and made his first start on April 9. He struck out five batters in five shutout innings, leading the Redbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Cardinals Looking to Move Forward
The Cardinals’ 2024 season has been riddled with injuries and uncertainty. They lost important position players before the season began, including utilityman Tommy Edman (the team’s anticipated starting centerfielder) and outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson. They coped with Gray’s hamstring troubles, and when he returned, Matz was placed on the injured list with a back injury.
There has also been conjecture that manager Oliver Marmol may be sacked before the end of the season. Mozeliak addressed the issue in a recent radio appearance.
“Well, I think these are difficult times,” Mozeliak told Tom Ackerman from the team’s main radio station, 1120 AM KMOX, on May 12. “I still think he (Marmol) understands the job and knows how to manage. I believe he is attempting to put together the proper blend of players, but at some point, you must perform.
“Yeah, I understand fans are not happy with myself,” he replied. “They’re not pleased with Oliver. I don’t think anything I say here today will change that.
“So I think we have to just keep trying to go back, trying to get this to work,” he continued. “And look, we know that if it doesn’t, people will be held accountable. And, ultimately, that begins with me.”
