Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Sonny Gray Trade Future: Giants Could Be A Fit

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have officially been eliminated from postseason contention. A 4-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night sealed their fate and ensured that for the third straight year, there will be no October baseball in St. Louis. The Cardinals are also likely to finish below .500 for the second time in the last three years. Prior to 2023, they hadn't done that since 2007.

After the game, Sonny Gray, who drew the start, discussed his future and what might happen in terms of his no-trade clause.

"I have enjoyed my time (in St. Louis). I love the people. But I came here to win. I signed here two years ago with the expectation of winning and trying to win. That hasn’t played out that way," Gray said. "Yeah, I want to win. I expect to win, and I came here with the expectation to win."

Gray Discusses St. Louis Future, Giants Could Be A Fit

Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Gray is the type of pitcher that the Giants would target. This would require both sides taking on a sum of money to pay down the contract. St. Louis might have to eat most of it in order to receive a good return for their ace.

He is due $35 million in 2026, the final guaranteed year of his contract. The Giants would certainly benefit from having Gray at the top of their rotation, as he could replace Justin Verlander.

The Cardinals should hope to bring back young, controllable starting pitching in trades to bolster their future. If they eat enough money with Gray, they could potentially bring back some young pitcher for their minor league system.

The Giants have some young arms such as Landen Roupp, Carson Seymour and Kai-Wei Tang that might be of interest to the Cardinals.

It's clear that Gray may be changing his mind about wanting to be in St. Louis, and if the Giants are serious about contending in 2026, then they could potentially look into making a trade with St. Louis for Gray.

Even if the Cardinals have to eat most of the contract, they could still get some salary relief from trading Gray and could open the door for more young pitchers to make their mark in 2026.

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

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