The St. Louis Cardinals could be major sellers at the MLB trade deadline. While the team is in solid shape now, if the front office decides to sell, there would be a lot of value to be gained. While there are multiple veterans on expiring deals, including two in the starting rotation, there's a third starter who could gain a lot of attention.
That potential starter is Cardinals veteran and three-time All-Star Sonny Gray. If Gray were to become available, there is one team that stands out as a fit for the expensive veteran: The Los Angeles Dodgers.
Colin Keane of Sports Illustrated pointed out the potential of a Gray to the Dodgers trade. With the Dodgers in need of more starting pitching after their slew of injuries in the rotation, someone like Gray could be a top target if he became available.
"Though the Cardinals are surprisingly in the playoff picture," Keane writes. "They're not real contenders, and there's an opportunity here to shed payroll (Gray) and acquire prospects from the Dodgers' farm system."
Gray is under contract for the next couple of seasons, with a $25 million salary in 2025, $35 million in 2026, and a club option for $30 million in 2027. While it'd be a huge commitment for the Dodgers, if the team views their current crop of starters as too injury-prone, Gray could be a long-term fix to their rotation woes.
In 2025, Gray has a 3.84 ERA and a 7-2 record across 14 starts. He's struck out 85 batters and walked just 15. His 1.180 WHIP is solid, and his 3.20 FIP indicates he's pitching better than his ERA indicates.
While Gray is expensive and would cost a few prospects to acquire, the Cardinals and Dodgers could pair up on this deal to set the course for both teams. The Dodgers are trying to try and repeat as World Series champions.
The Cardinals are a team entering the key years of a rebuild, and trading away Gray now would net a strong prospect return, which could set the team up for success in the long run.