Sonny Gray Trade? Why Latest Mets, Cardinals Trade Buzz Makes No Sense

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently put together a list of every MLB team’s trade needs ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. For the Cardinals, Miller suggested they need to pick a lane and went as far as to suggest trading Sonny Gray to the New York Mets if the Cardinals were to be sellers.

“If the Cardinals are sellers, Ryan Helsley, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Phil Maton and Miles Mikolas are the expiring contracts to unload, while Sonny Gray could be the aforementioned ace the Mets target and Nolan Arenado could be the answer to the Yankees’ hot corner woes,” Miller wrote.

But does this make sense?

First of all, it’s likely the Cardinals will be sellers. They’ve lost quite a bit this month, and their starting pitching rotation is far from postseason-ready. The Cardinals would need to make a lot of moves to get this team in shape to win the World Series. It’s quite unlikely, so expect the Cardinals to be sellers.

For the Mets, this deal would make a lot of sense. They need to add starting pitching, and Gray would fill that need with a consistent and reliable arm. He’s quietly been one of the better pitchers in baseball for over five years now.

The Cardinals could trade him, despite his team control, in a move that builds for the future. He would net a solid prospect return on the open market, so a trade could make sense.

But Gray has a no-trade clause, and he’s been unwilling to waive it for anybody.

The veteran pitcher has carved out a role as a mentor to the younger arms in St. Louis, and he’s done this job very well. He’s been very vocal about his love for the Cardinals and how he wishes to stay with the team.

If Gray is unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, then a deal is dead before it can even grow legs.

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