Aaron Nola vs. Sonny Gray: Who is the better fit for the Cardinals?

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The Cardinals know that they're going to have to change their approach this coming offseason, mainly when it comes to acquiring pitching. This offseason already appears to have the makings of a big one, bigger than what the Cardinals have experienced in quite some time.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch already revealed on Monday that the Cardinals have shown interest in Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola. Rarely do we hear any rumblings of the Cardinals' offseason plans this early.

Granted, much of it has to do with the fact that the Cardinals did not reach the playoffs, but even then, it sometimes takes a little while before rumors begin to circulate.

But given that Gray and Nola are already on their radar, the Cardinals appear to be planning a very big offseason. Fans certainly can't complain about that, as a big offseason is what the Cardinals need to get back in the conversation for the World Series, where they have not been since 2013.

It's always possible that the Cardinals could sign both Nola and Gray this coming winter. But given that both are among the elite tier of free agent starters, the Cardinals may only be able to get one of them, which wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily.

In a perfect world, the Cardinals would be able to get both of them in one offseason and have two truly dominant starters in their rotation. However, the Cardinals may be forced to choose between one or the other.

In this piece, we will discuss how both aces fit with the Cardinals and which one I feel would be the better fit in the event that the Cardinals are unable to sign them both.

Aaron Nola

Nola had a tough 2023 regular season, pitching to a 4.46 ERA in 32 starts with the Phillies. However, he proved last night against the Marlins that he is more than capable of pitching in the postseason. He did it against the Cardinals last year.

So while the ERA is a bit of a concern, Nola is a proven postseason pitcher and is somebody that could really benefit the Cardinals next year. He would instantly profile as an ace in St. Louis, and the Cardinals have not had somebody like that in quite some time.

There's no question that Nola would be a great fit in St. Louis. It's going to cost a lot of money, but given Goold's recent reports, it seems that the Cardinals are willing to finally step out of their comfort zone and pay the big bucks.

Nola also is only 30, so he's definitely got some good years left in him, and he averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings this year.

Sonny Gray

Gray has also proven that he is a very capable postseason starter. The 33-year-old gave the Twins five scoreless innings yesterday as they eliminated the Blue Jays. He even struck out six batters.

The veteran right-hander averaged nine punchouts per nine innings, similar to Nola. One concern would be his age, which we've talked about here on the site. You can check out our site expert Josh Jacobs' piece about the biggest red flags for each rotation target.

Gray will be 34, and as Ben Hochman of the St. Louis Post Dispatch mentions, it might be a reason why he doesn't get a megadeal this winter. But that could play right into the Cardinals' hands.

He might receive a three or four-year deal this winter, but since he finished second in ERA in the American League with a 2.79 mark, that would make him an ideal fit in St. Louis. It's for this reason that I think he would be the best fit between him and Nola if the Cardinals aren't able to land them both, which is very possible.

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Still, in a perfect world, the Cardinals would sign both of them, and we can only hope that they'll be able to do just that. But they need at least one of the top three starters, a list that also includes Blake Snell.

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