Cardinals 3-Time All-Star Linked To NL East Powerhouse In Potential Blockbuster Trade

Could St. Louis part ways with the fan favorite before Opening Day 2025?

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals hoped to significantly reduce payroll heading into this offseason but doing so has been easier said than done.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is tasked with the burden of finding suitable trade partners for several star players equipped with significant salaries to compensate for.

Several players with no-trade clauses in their contracts have made finding trade partners all the more difficult. Despite this, a St. Louis fan favorite has just been mentioned as a potential trade chip for a National League East powerhouse.

"The (New York) Mets are a possible suitor for (Sonny) Gray, though he has a full no-trade clause and already one bad experience in New York," CBS Sports' Mike Axias wrote Wednesday when discussing the remaining available targets on the trade market.

Gray invoked his no-trade clause earlier this offseason. The right-handed pitcher is supposedly content with the Cardinals' current direction and willing to remain a positive veteran influence in St. Louis' youth-laden clubhouse.

The three-time All-Star is owed roughly $65 million over the next two seasons, a steep liability for an organization enduring a rebuild, such as the Cardinals.

Eliminating Gray's contract from the payroll would make life easier for Mozeliak during his final year as head honcho but with the way this offseason has panned out for the Cardinals, it's doubtful they trade their ace.

However, there is plenty of time left for a big-market club, such as the Mets, to get together with the Cardinals and work out a deal to send Gray to Queens.

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