Could Cardinals Newest Exec Help Facilitate Franchise-Altering Blockbuster?

St. Louis has some challenging decisions to make this winter

Jun 17, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding and that puts several notable players' futures with the organization in jeopardy for this upcoming offseason.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has publicly declared that the front office is committed to reducing payroll while not necessarily worrying about building the best possible big-league roster for 2025.

Although Cardinals fans won't welcome it, a perfect trade opportunity might have just opened for St. Louis after the recent hiring of former Cleveland Guardians director of player development Rob Cerfolio.

"The (Guardians) rotation is also another area of need, especially with Shane Bieber’s looming free agency," FanSided's Robert Murray wrote Tuesday when discussing Cleveland's offseason agenda. "If Bieber is not retained, look for the Guardians to actively try to add an arm."

Cerfolio, who helped build the Guardians' No. 4 ranked farm system, could intercede for Mozeliak to negotiate a trade that would ship ace Sonny Gray to Cleveland in exchange for a decent haul of top prospects.

With the Cardinals focused on fixing their broken player development system while upgrading their No. 19-ranked farm system, St. Louis should consider trading with an organization rich in prospect capital, such as the Guardians.

Cleveland would receive a frontline starter with at least two seasons left on his contract from St. Louis in Gray, while the Cardinals land several young assets to help kickstart their rebuilding efforts -- Cerfolio being the key to unlocking the deal.

According to MLB.com's John Denton, a Gray or Nolan Arenado trade would signal a complete, multi-year rebuild for the Cardinals.

Acquiring Gray last offseason was exciting for Cardinals fans. It looked as if St. Louis was ready to turn a corner from the tumultuous 2023 season, but sadly, that didn't happen. Holding onto the reigning American League Cy Young runner-up might only delay the franchise's recovery, so perhaps it's time to move on and start investing in the future.

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