Cardinals-Braves Blockbuster Would Replace Max Fried With $75M Star

Would the Cardinals consider a move of this nature?
Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have some very intriguing pieces on the roster.

St. Louis may not make a run to the World Series in 2025, but the club does have some star talent. Unfortunately, that could lead to some trades this winter. The Cardinals seem like they are going to rebuild the organization and that will lead to some trades involving high-priced veterans.

The Cardinals have some decisions to make and one player who continuously has been brought up is ace Sonny Gray. He has a no-trade clause in his contract and it has been reported that he would prefer to stay.

If he changes his mind, one team that was mentioned as a fit is the Atlanta Braves as a replacement option for Max Fried by Newsweek's Zach Pressnell.

"(Right-handed pitcher) Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals," Pressnell said. "The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to rebuild their roster and a Sonny Gray trade would make a lot of sense for them. Gray has a no-trade clause, so any deal would need to be cleared by him first.

"The Braves don't need a young prospect to fill Fried's role unless it's one of the top prospects in baseball. They have plenty of young arms still left to develop. Acquiring a guy like Gray who could give you a few years of solid production would be more than enough to bridge the gap until Atlanta's top prospects are big-league-ready."

Gray has two years left on a $75 million deal with the Cardinals. Keep a close eye on him.

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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