One of the clubs to keep an eye on in Major League Baseball before the trade deadline is the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals may be the team in the league that can assist the New York Yankees the most as the deadline at the end of July draws near. A number of players have connected the Yankees to trade speculations, whether it is due to Sonny Gray or Nolan Arenado.
But in the National League Central, the Cardinals are just one game away. St. Louis has a chance to win this division unless the Chicago Cubs keep playing the way they have throughout the first month or so of the season.
Joe McFly of TalkinYanks recently forecast that the Yankees will trade for Gray at the deadline, despite prior skepticism.
McFly said, “The Yankees will trade for Sonny Gray.”
Would Sonny Gray Be Worth It for Yankees?
According to Newsweek, if the New York Yankees think Gray is worth the money, they may make a deal for him. Gray still owes $25 million the next year and has a $30 million club adoption for the 2027 campaign.
Gray has a $30 million club option for 2027, is owed $25 million this season, and will be owed $35 million in 2026 after agreeing to a three-year, $75 million contract in 2023. He may be the ideal match for the Yankees’ timeframe if they believe he is worth the cash and whatever assets they must give up to acquire him.
Peter Chawaga commented, “He’s been the kind of reliable and effective starter the Yankees could cherish come playoff time for several years.”
Yankees Face Roadblock to Reunite With Sonny Gray
The St. Louis Cardinals may run into trouble if they try to trade him, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Given that Gray has already struggled in the Bronx, the New York Yankees are aware that they will have to pay a hefty price for him. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he pitched for the Yankees, recording a 4.90 ERA in 2018.
Before joining the Yankees, Gray’s arm was above average.
Right-hander Erick Fedde, who has a 3.86 ERA this season, would attract some interest if the Cardinals decide to trade players. He added, “Sonny Gray, a fellow right-handed starter and three-time All-Star, has a severely backloaded deal. He owes $35 million in 2026, and his previous midseason trade to a contender (from the Athletics to the New York Yankees in 2017) did not go well.
Olney went on to say that there is a chance the Cardinals might retain some of their tradeable players given their recent performance.
Cardinals Could Choose Not to Be Sellers
The St. Louis Cardinals will have to make some decisions following a rumored offseason. The New York Yankees will have to seek elsewhere if it doesn’t mean they can move on from Gray.
In the final season of John Mozeliak’s leadership as head of baseball operations, he said, “the St. Louis Cardinals are on a winning streak and they’ve communicated to other teams that even if they aren’t a front-runner, they might keep their tradable players.”
