Sonny Gray, the St. Louis Cardinals’ experienced starting pitcher, has been mentioned as a trade candidate for the upcoming summer. The 34-year-old had a good 2024 season, going 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and 203 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings pitched. Several teams are looking for starting pitchers, and Gray’s experience makes him an ideal candidate for a contending team.
Cardinals Veteran Starter Sonny Gray a Highly Desired Trade Candidate
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has previously stated that he wants to focus on providing the team’s young players an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. “Ultimately, the direction that we’re going to be going, it’s going to be creating some opportunities for our younger players.” This appears to give its veterans the green light to pursue other choices as the organization seeks to rebuild. Given the Cardinals’ emphasis on developing young talent, if they decide to let Gray go, they will want to use the money to sign young prospects. This means they would have to account for the majority of his current income.
On November 27th, 2023, the three-time All-Star signed a three-year contract with the Cardinals worth $75 million, with a club option in 2027. Gray was also the runner-up for the American League Cy Young award in 2023 while with the Minnesota Twins. This was a watershed moment in his career, as he became the first Twins pitcher to finish second for the award since Kenta Maeda in 2020. Gray, with his remarkable 30.3% strikeout rate and propensity to eat up innings, has emerged as a potential candidate for the Cleveland Guardians.
Gray has close ties to Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who used to catch for Gray while he was with the Oakland Athletics. One of the Guardians’ major aims this offseason is to get a starter. Gray also had a strong FIP (3.12) this season, outperforming Baltimore Orioles starter Corbin Burnes (3.21) and Atlanta Braves starting Max Fried (3.33). Gray also has the significant advantage of limiting walks, making him a desirable starter to acquire this winter.
