Cardinals Advised To Keep $75 Million Star Despite Trade Rumors

Will the Cardinals trade away their All-Star hurler this winter?

Aug 12, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

There already has been plenty of speculation across Major League Baseball about possible trades.

At this point, nothing can happen at the big league level. The postseason is still going on, and nothing can happen until this winter. The St. Louis Cardinals will be an interesting team to watch out for once movement can commence across the league.

It has been reported that the Cardinals could be open to trading veterans this winter as a way to trim payroll. Sonny Gray's name has been floated as a trade candidate, although he has a no-trade clause.

It's too early to know what will happen, but it does seem as though there at least will be discussions this winter about a trade. While this is the case, SportsGrid urged the team to keep Gray.

"Keep Sonny Gray as the staff ace," SportsGrid said. "The Cardinals finally addressed their rotation issues by signing Sonny Gray to a three-year, $75 million deal, but rumors suggest they may trade him to reduce payroll. This would be a mistake. Gray's 2024 performance (3.84 ERA, 3.12 FIP) proved he's still a reliable top-of-the-rotation arm. Trading him would dismantle the progress they've made in solidifying their pitching.

"The Cardinals finished 20th in ERA (4.33) and 23rd in opponent batting average (.249), so Gray’s presence is vital. Instead of cutting costs, they should focus on strengthening their rotation around Gray."

Gray will be entering the second year of a three-year, $75 million deal and certainly gave the Cardinals everything they could've wanted in 2024. St. Louis spent last offseason rebuilding the rotation. Why trade their best pitcher now?

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