St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Why a Sonny Gray trade makes sense for the Cardinals

By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 4:57 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are struggling to stay alive in the National League wild-card picture. They are going to have to rebuild this offseason, and that may include trading some popular players, namely pitcher Sonny Gray.

The 35-year-old is 13-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 30 starts. He has also recorded 187 strikeouts in 168.2 innings of work, averaging 10 punchouts per nine innings through Tuesday.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently followed up on a report from Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the San Francisco Giants were going to show interest in Gray this offseason, saying that a trade is possible.

"Gray has not said, though he has indicated that there are teams that have situations he'd be interested in. He signed with the Cardinals ahead of an offer from Arizona. Atlanta can offer some of what the Cardinals do that he wanted, geographically. S.F. does not. But it's a chance perhaps to reconnect with Bob Melvin, and they are close. The current Cardinals would engage in that conversation," Goold said in his weekly Cardinals chat.

Why a Gray trade makes sense for the Cardinals

Ultimately, trading Gray would not be a bad idea for St. Louis. He has one more year left on his contract and a $30M club option in 2027. Next year, he'll make $35M.

If the Cardinals trade the veteran righty, they can potentially get out from under some of the money owed to him. They'll likely have to eat a significant portion of his salary to get the best possible return, but they can still free up some salary space and use what space they receive to add to other areas of the roster or add a lower-priced free agent or two. Gray could also net the team some decent prospects to help strengthen the farm system.

This would also fully signal that the Cardinals are rebuilding. Trading Gray would open up more opportunities for younger pitchers. The time has come for St. Louis to take a step back from contention and focus on the future, and rebuilding makes sense at this point.

Curt Bishop

Curt Bishop is a freelance sportswriter who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of communication. Curt primarily covers Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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