De facto Cardinals ace expected to be pursued by NL West team this offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals refuse to go away and are still technically in the playoff race with fewer than 20 games to go. The chances are slim thanks to a tough schedule to end the season, but expect the Cardinals to remain competitive for the rest of the campaign. For a team that has been fighting rotation questions all season, it is actually impressive that they have remained in it for this long.

At least one of these questions will remain in the offseason as the team welcomes Chaim Bloom into the decision-making fold for a 40-man roster that needs some help. Sonny Gray was brought to St. Louis to become the ace of a staff that needed some support after failing to have an ace that could dominate opposing lineups for a while. When he was signed for the 2024 season, he agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal that included a $30 million club option for the 2027 campaign. Along with the rising salary each season, Gray was also handed a no-trade clause, something he has used this year as he looked to provide some stability for his family after moving teams multiple times in his career.

San Francisco Giants could pursue Sonny Gray this offseason

After stating he would not waive his no-trade clause at this year's trade deadline, it is very possible that Bloom and the Cardinals ask him about his willingness to head elsewhere this offseason, as the Cardinals are likely to look at 2026 as another transition year. Gray will be 36 years old during next season and will be coming off back-to-back average years as the team's de facto number one starter. He will also be pitching on a $35 million salary in 2026, so any acquiring team will probably ask the Cardinals to eat some money to increase the player return. One such team that has been mentioned as a fit for Gray, depending on his cost, is the San Francisco Giants as they look to move past mediocrity into playoff contention in a tough NL West.

Gray, though, has always shown a desire to be close to his home of Smyrna, Tennessee, so that could be one of the obstacles both teams will need to get over to make a deal. The Giants are known to be looking for pitching help, as they only have two starting pitchers under contract for the next year, a similar problem that the Cardinals are facing. While with St. Louis, Gray has increased his strikeout rate while lowering his free passes en route to a 26-17 record to go along with a 4.15 ERA while wearing the birds on the bat. He has been bit by the home run ball at a greater rate than he has at any other point in his career, but he has still been a steady source of solid production for the Cardinals.

The free agent class for starting pitchers is actually pretty solid along with other names who may be made available via trade during the offseason. Competition, player capital, and the St. Louis Cardinals' willingness to eat some money will go a long way to determine what type of return would come back in a deal. Of course, Sonny Gray needs to be open to moving again before talks progress.