Cardinals $75 Million Star Called 'Too Tempting To Pass Up' In Major Deal

St. Louis has some big decisions to make in the very near future

Jul 10, 2020; St. Louis, Missouri, United States; A section of empty seats is illuminated by a sunlight during St. Louis Cardinals workouts at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals had a very solid offseason last year but it sounds like this one is going to be different.

St. Louis was aggressive and added three starting pitchers before most other teams even added one. The Cardinals signed Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson to bolster the rotation, and all three did a good job. St. Louis now will be changing things.

The Cardinals are looking to trim salaries, and that means that some changes are very likely on the way. Who could be on the move? Well, Gray has been mentioned as a trade candidate. He signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals, so he still has two years left on his deal, although he has a no-trade clause.

If Gray is willing to be moved, he likely will have a big market. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Ben Frederickson suggested a trade could be coming because his market could be "too tempting to pass up."

"Already mass assumptions are underway about which high-priced veterans the Cardinals will deal as they lean into a retool, rebuild, or whatever else you want to call this new chapter," Frederickson said. "Sonny Gray’s market could be too tempting to pass up for a team looking to get younger and willing to hand over a key rotation spot to rising arms."

Gray had a 3.84 ERA across 28 starts for the Cardinals in 2024. Could he end up playing elsewhere in 2025?

More MLB: Cardinals Advised To Keep $87.5 Million Star Despite Trade Rumors