Cardinals $75 Million Star Linked To Former Team In 'Realistic' Blockbuster Proposal

St. Louis might part ways with the veteran hurler this offseason

Aug 4, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A general view of Great American Ballpark prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-Imagn Images / Frank Victores-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced plans to reduce payroll this offseason and teams are homing in on what they can snag from their roster this winter.

The Cardinals have several star players, such as Nolan Arenado and Ryan Helsley, who could be on the trade block. As St. Louis looks to rebuild, shocking trades could be inevitable.

In what would be a surprising deal between two National League Central rivals, a Cardinals starting pitcher has been linked to a blockbuster involving his former team.

"Trades between division rivals can sometimes be frowned upon, but the Cardinals probably aren't going to contend over the next two seasons," Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly wrote Monday morning when discussing his list of realistic trade proposals that could take place this offseason. "(Sonny) Gray would rejoin a (Cincinnati) Reds team that already has Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo in the starting rotation, giving new manager Terry Francona an exciting group to work with."

Gray logged a 23-20 record with a 3.94 ERA, 432-to-144 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .208 batting average against and a 1.15 WHIP across three seasons while pitching for the Reds.

After signing a backloaded, three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals last offseason, Gray is stranded on a team he thought would be postseason contenders but is headed for a slight rebuild instead.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old can still perform at a high level and might want to join a club in a better position to compete as he looks to earn his first World Series ring.

The Reds have a pair of hurlers -- Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder -- in the top 100 prospect rankings, so perhaps St. Louis could poach from Cincinnati's No. 14 ranked farm system by trading Gray. With the franchise looking to invest in player development and younger talent, perhaps the Cardinals should consider parting ways with their ace this winter.

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