The St. Louis Cardinals have decisions to make this offseason, especially with Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations once the season concludes, which will be in just a week and a half.
Perhaps the biggest decision will be what the Cardinals do with ace starter Sonny Gray. Trade rumors are swirling from all angles, and one of the teams potentially in the mix is the San Francisco Giants.
Cardinals insider responds to Giants' reporter regarding Sonny Gray
There has already been a ton of talk regarding whether Sonny Gray will be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals next season, and Giants' reporter Susan Slussler added her reasoning for the Giants wanting to pursue Gray:
"Gray is precisely the type of starter the Giants are likely to target this season, especially if Justin Verlander does not re-sign with the team," Slusser said. "They’d like another veteran to go along with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, and while Gray’s deal is eye-popping — no current Giants will earn as much as $30 million next year, Rafael Devers is at $29,500,000 — Gray would cost very little in terms of prospects.
This is a story to keep a close eye on as the offseason approaches, but Cardinals insider Derrick Gold offered his own opinion of the situation, which refutes what Sussler wrote:
"Slusser is a superb baseball writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who covers the Giants," Goold said. "Let me just add that real quick here. A) Gray has not said, though he has indicated that there are teams that have situations he'd be interested in. He signed with the Cardinals ahead of an offer from Arizona. Atlanta can offer some of what the Cardinals do that he wanted, geographically. SF does not. But it's a chance perhaps to reconnect with Bob Melvin, and they are close. B) The current Cardinals would engage in that conversation. We'll find out what Bloom's approach will be. To date, it's not clear. It may be the same because ownership is the same. It may be different because Bloom has a different approach."
Gold makes the best point there at the end of his excerpt. The final decision will be up to Chaim Bloom, but if an offer comes through that is enticing for the Cardinals, it may be a good option to trade away Sonny Gray, get off some of his contract, and prepare for a rebuild year in 2026.
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