The St. Louis Cardinals will soon be done with their transition and will be ready to begin a rebuild under Chaim Bloom. After today’s regular season finale against the Chicago Cubs, Bloom will take over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations. The rebuild will likely include the Cardinals trading away some key players that could be of interest to contending ballclubs.
Among these potential trade pieces is Sonny Gray, who previously chose to stay in St. Louis but has since changed his tone. After Wednesday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants, Gray expressed his willingness to waive his no-trade clause.
Dave Litman of Baseball Rumors listed three potential trade suitors for Gray, and among them were the Toronto Blue Jays.
Gray finished the 2025 season 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 32 starts. He also struck out 201 batters and logged 180 2/3 innings with St. Louis. 2026 is the final guaranteed year of his contract. St. Louis gave him three years and $75 million prior to the 2024 season.
Of course, Gray would have to approve any trade and has the final say on where he’ll end up going. It isn’t certain that he’ll accept a trade to Toronto, but they could use another starting pitcher in their rotation with Max Scherzer possibly departing after the 2025 season.
Of course, Gray would have to approve any trade and has the final say on where he’ll end up going. It isn’t certain that he’ll accept a trade to Toronto, but they could use another starting pitcher in their rotation with Max Scherzer possibly departing after the 2025 season.
The 35-year-old right-hander and three-time All-Star has proven he can eat innings and also brings swing-and-miss capability to a starting rotation. The Cardinals may not get much in return for the veteran, as their motivations to trade him, besides a formal request from Gray, will likely be for financial reasons.
They may hope to clear some salary by trading Gray, and potentially Nolan Arenado as well. It is clear that the Cardinals are not focused on contending in 2026 and will instead focus on setting themselves up well for the future. The rebuild may take some time.
The Blue Jays would at least give Gray an opportunity to play with a clear contender in the final year of his contract. The Cardinals on the other hand, are going to be doing things a lot differently under Bloom than they have been under Mozeliak.
It will certainly be interesting to see where Gray ends up and if he’ll ultimately accept a trade to Toronto.
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