Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the St. Louis Cardinals intend on shopping their top starting pitcher Sonny Gray this offseason.

Gray, 34, signed a three-year deal with the Cardinals this offseason. The contract was backloaded, as Gray received just $10 million of his $75 million contract in 2024, and he’s set to earn $25 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. He was signed to lead a starting rotation in desperate need of a steadying force, and he had himself a relatively strong season.

Gray finished 2024 with a 3.84 ERA, 3.12 FIP, and a 1.088 WHIP for an ERA+ of 109. Gray eclipsed the 200-strikeout mark this year in only 166.1 innings. While his 2024 season was a downgrade from his Cy Young-worthy performance in 2023, he was still a welcome sight this year.

According to Nightengale, “The St. Louis Cardinals plan to shop veteran starter Sonny Gray while reducing payroll. (Gray) has a full no-trade clause.” Nightengale lists the Cincinnati Reds as one team who could aggressively pursue Sonny Gray. Other interested teams may include the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and Houston Astros. Some other fringe trade candidates could include the Philadelphia Phillies or the San Francisco Giants.

It would make sense for the Cardinals to shop Sonny Gray this offseason. He’s getting more expensive, and the organization intends on cutting payroll this offseason following a year where fewer than three million fans attended games at Busch Stadium and uncertainty surrounds the team’s TV deal with Bally Sports.

What complicates a trade of Sonny Gray in addition to his salary is his no-trade clause. Thanks to this clause, he has the final say in any transaction. However, Gray was also quite honest in the preseason about wanting to revamp the pitching structure in St. Louis. If those changes and adaptations haven’t been made, he may not want to waste any more time in trying to win a championship before he retires.

According to Katie Woo, the Cardinals will be taking this offseason to restructure the bones of the organization. Clearly, St. Louis isn’t in a winning window at the moment. If Sonny Gray wants to truly contend, he could waive his no-trade clause to play for a playoff-caliber team.

It’s a bit strange for a team to want to trade its best starting pitcher just a year after signing him to a multi-year contract. However, if the Cardinals want to hit reset on the roster and look to be competitive down the road, perhaps trading Sonny Gray is their best course of action. this offseason.