Cardinals Three-Time All-Star 'Available For Trade' As Free-Agent Market Heats Up

The St. Louis fan favorite might not be retained

Apr 9, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals hope to make a trade this winter with one of their more expensive players but doing so might be more challenging than they previously thought.

For instance, the Cardinals have been shopping superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado's contract throughout this week at the Winter Meetings but finding a suitor has been hard to come by.

However, St. Louis might look for another opportunity within the organization to clear payroll room by trading a three-time All-Star this offseason.

"The (Garrett) Crochet deal marked the end of a saga that began last summer, but a number of other pitchers remain in play on the trade market," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote Wednesday. "According to sources, Luis Castillo (Seattle) (Mariners), Dylan Cease (San Diego) (Padres), Jesús Luzardo (Miami) (Marlins) and Sonny Gray (Cardinals) are among the pitchers available for trade, while the (New York) Yankees could also look to move a starter as mentioned above."

This isn't the first time Feinsand claimed that Gray is on the trade block, despite the veteran hurler invoking his no-trade clause earlier this offseason.

It was previously thought Gray would remain in St. Louis to help mentor the Cardinals' youth core but perhaps the right-handed pitcher has experienced a change of heart.

The 35-year-old is signed through 2026 with the Cardinals and has a $30 million club option for 2027. If Gray remains in St. Louis, the 11-time World Series champions must pay him $25 million next season, making him the highest-paid player on the club's roster.

It seems that the Cardinals won't be postseason contenders for another few years, so it might be that Gray wants to join Arenado in his pursuit of finding a competitive team to join.

More MLB: Yankees Predicted To Trade For Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Despite Contradicting Rumors