Cardinals Predicted To Cut Ties With $75 Million Ace In Huge Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals could look to trade some of their star players this season, but a lot of the speculation revolves around players on expiring contracts like Erick Fedde and Ryan Helsley. With the Cardinals unlikely to re-sign these players after the season, it would make sense to trade them.

But there's growing trade speculation revolving around a Cardinals player with multiple more years of team control on his deal.

FanSided's John Buhler recently suggested the Cardinals could cut ties with their ace, Sonny Gray, in a massive trade this season.

"Not only would Gray command some prospects of note should he be shopped to a contender, but there is more than meets the eye than the two years currently left on his Cardinals deal," Buhler wrote. "That contract comes with a team option for 2027, meaning St. Louis or anyone else could retain him for one more season at $30 million a pop if he has a dominant campaign either this year or next.

"For so many reasons, a team option is a far better trade asset than a player option because the team is obviously more in control. In short, a contending team potentially dealing for Gray would be getting for the rest of 2026, all of 2027, and maybe even potentially all of 2028. A player of Gray's caliber could drastically improve a contending team's rotation, and St. Louis is not one."

Gray has two years left on his deal before a club option in 2027. With that in mind, the Cardinals don't need to trade him.

But Gray's been good again this year and he could garner some serious trade attention. A team like the Baltimore Orioles could use a controllable ace like the Cardinals' righty. The Boston Red Sox could be a suitor if the Cardinals deal him.

All in all, the odds of Gray being traded aren't nearly as high as Fedde or Helsley. But if a team is willing to send St. Louis a serious prospect haul this season, the righty could be dealt before the trade deadline.