St. Louis Cardinals veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray‘s name has come up as a trade candidate for this upcoming offseason. The 34-year-old had a strong 2024 season with a 13-9 record, a 3.84 ERA, and 203 strikeouts across 166 1/3 innings pitched. Several teams are seeking starting pitchers, and with Gray’s experience, he would be well-suited for a contending team.
Cardinals Veteran Starter Sonny Gray a Highly Desired Trade Candidate
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has already made it apparent that he wants to focus on giving the youngsters on the squad the chance to showcase their skills. “Ultimately, the direction that we’re going to be going, it’s going to be creating some opportunities for our younger players.” This would seemingly give their veterans the green light to explore other options as the team is looking to rebuild. Given the Cardinals’ focus on developing young talent, if they decide to let go of Gray, they’ll want to utilize that to acquire young prospects. This means they would have to be accountable for the bulk of his existing salary.
Offseason Trade Candidate: Cardinals SP Sonny Gray
Contract breakdown:
2025 – $25M
2026 – $35M
2027 – $30M (club option)STL is looking to cut payroll this winter and Gray’s 30.3% strikeout rate this year was the second-best of his career.
High-end SP2 for a contending team. pic.twitter.com/3TX6Lx0FxN
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) October 23, 2024
The three-time All-Star signed with the Cardinals on November 27th, 2023 on a three-year $75 million contract including a club option in 2027. Gray was also the 2023 American League Cy Young runner-up when he played for the Minnesota Twins. This marked a huge milestone in his career, as he was the first Twins pitcher to make it as a runner-up for the award since Kenta Maeda in 2020. Accounting for Gray’s impressive 30.3% strikeout-rate, and his capability to eat up innings, he has come up as a possible candidate for the Cleveland Guardians.
With Gray’s time spent playing with the Oakland Athletics, he has strong ties with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who used to catch for Gray when he played on the A’s. One of the Guardians’ top priorities this offseason is to pick up a starter. Gray also recorded a solid FIP this season (3.12) that ranked higher than Baltimore Orioles starter Corbin Burnes (3.21) and Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried (3.33). Gray also possesses the strong asset of limiting walks, making him a desired starter to snatch up this winter.
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