Inside The Cardinals

Blockbuster Trade Idea Lands Cardinals $75 Million Star With Rangers

Could a blockbuster deal be coming to St. Louis?

Patrick McAvoy

Apr 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; A bucket of baseballs sits on the field prior to the game between the San Francisco Giants against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; A bucket of baseballs sits on the field prior to the game between the San Francisco Giants against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Cardinals could completely shake up the roster this winter.

St. Louis already has announced that Chaim Bloom will be taking over the president of baseball operations role at the end of the 2025 season. That is a sign that the upcoming campaign is a transition year.

Hopefully, the Cardinals can stack up some wins and make some noise, but the team clearly is planning for the future rather than the short term. Because of this, chatter already has picked up about who could be traded.

Three-time All-Star Sonny Gray's name already has popped up. Gray signed a three-year deal with the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 season worth $75 million. That is a pretty affordable deal for an ace-level pitcher. He finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2023 and followed it up with a 3.84 ERA in 2024 with St. Louis.

He will be a hot commodity on the trade market, and FanSided's Josh Jacobs suggested that the Texas Rangers could be a fit.

"Before I dive into these destinations, I want to once again note how it is still very much up in the air whether or not Gray would be open to a trade," Jacobs said. "He could very well want to stay in St. Louis, and if that is his desire, he has that no-trade clause. But it does appear that the Cardinals are open to moving him...

"As for the third team, since there are not any other baseball towns close to Nashville, I went with the Texas Rangers. Texas will have Max Scherzer's money coming off their books this offseason, and I am sure they will be hungry to rebound after failing to make the playoffs in the title defense season. Gray would be an excellent fit for their rotation should they want to make a big swing there."

Gray has a no-trade clause in his deal, but he will be someone to watch for over the winter.

More MLB: Outspoken Cardinals Star On Trade Block After Stellar Season

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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