Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Cardinals 'Focused' On $260M Trade After Sonny Gray Split

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Nov 26, 2025 2:24 PM ET

If the St. Louis Cardinals' trade sending Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox was the final one of the offseason for the organization, that would be a major shock.

Instead, this will likely be the first of at least a few. With Gray now gone, the attention certainly shifts to another high-priced veteran: Nolan Arenado. Back in October, Bloom said there was a "realistic pathway" to keeping Gray and noted that there's likely a "better fit somewhere else" for Arenado.

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Instant Impact Of Cardinals-Red Sox Sonny Gray Blockbuster

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Well, now Gray is gone and it's not yet December. There's plenty of time left to make a deal involving Arenado and The Athletic's Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported that the team "remains focused" on getting one done.

"The Cardinals are just getting started," Sammon, Rosenthal, and Woo wrote. "After trading Gray, the club remains focused on moving third baseman Nolan Arenado, and at least one, if not two, of their left-handed hitters, multiple team sources said...

"Moving Arenado again will be easier said than done. Arenado is entering his age 35-season after three straight years of offensive decline. He has expanded the list of teams for which he would waive his full no-trade clause, multiple team sources said. Similar to the Gray trade, ownership is willing to include cash for the right deal. But Arenado’s market remains unclear.

"Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez are the top third basemen available in free agency, along with Japanese corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, who was posted on Nov. 8. Arenado’s market could open up once these players sign. He was linked to the Red Sox last winter, and Boston was one of five teams he was willing to approve for a trade. But it’s difficult to imagine those talks possibly reviving until Bregman, who opted out of his deal with the Red Sox, makes a decision."

The Cardinals included $20 million in the deal to get rid of Gray. With $42 million owed to Arenado over the next two seasons, the Cardinals will surely have to pay down that deal if they want to get a trade done. He has just two seasons left on an eight-year, $260 million deal. The Cardinals have been clear that they are not releasing him. So, expect to hear more about Arenado rumors in the coming weeks.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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