The Cardinals' ace isn't going anywhere for now.
The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly committed to selling this year at the trade deadline. While they are still close in the National League Wild Card race, they are nine games back in the NL Central.
It has become increasingly clear that St. Louis is not a World Series contender and likely wouldn't last long if they were to reach the postseason. They have plenty of players on expiring contracts they could trade.
Recent reports from Katie Woo of The Athletic indicated that the team was fielding calls on right-hander Sonny Gray. The 35-year-old is in the second year of a three-year, $75 million contract.
However, John Denton of MLB.com revealed that Gray has no plans to leave St. Louis, as of now.
"Sonny Gray recently met with POBO John Mozeliak where they discussed trade interest from other teams inquiring about the right-hander's availability, per a source. Gray reiterated his desire to stay in St. Louis -- at least through the 2025 season, per the source," Denton reported.
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Gray has a no-trade clause, so he has the final say on whether or not he is traded. The veteran right-hander is 10-4 with a 4.33 ERA in 21 starts with St. Louis this year. He also has recorded 128 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings pitched
At least for now, it appears that Gray will stay in St. Louis. Perhaps the Cardinals could revisit this in the offseason.
The 35-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract in 2026, so it is something that could gain traction over the winter. For a trade to happen, St. Louis would likely have to eat a significant portion of his remaining salary.
But it appears that Gray won't be part of a deadline fire sale. Instead, it will likely involve Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz, all relievers who are on expiring contracts.
It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals revisit a potential Gray trade in the offseason.
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Category: Baseball
