The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are trending in opposite directions and are also playing contrary to their preseason expectations. Boston was expected to contend after a wild card berth in 2025, and St. Louis was expected to struggle after making several trades to kick off their rebuild under Chaim Bloom.
Yet it’s St. Louis that finds itself in the third National League wild card spot while Boston is in last place in the American League East, with their only hope being a wild card because of how weak the American League is.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicts that Boston will sell, while St. Louis will buy. He floated right-hander Sonny Gray as a trade candidate and somebody the Cardinals could look to reunite with.
“The Cardinals have been the NL’s biggest surprise, and they believe that their biggest need is a starting pitcher. Without giving up any of their very top prospects, their most realistic trade targets are a reunion with Sonny Gray or acquiring Robbie Ray,” Bowden wrote.
How it Could Work
Because Gray is a rental and is owed a lot of money for the rest of the season, the Red Sox should not expect a massive haul in exchange for Gray if they do trade him. He has put together a very strong season to date, but he is also 36 years old, and it remains to be seen if he can keep this up.
The Cardinals didn’t get anything massive in return when they shipped Gray to the Red Sox last offseason, so Boston likely shouldn’t expect anything big in return, especially since the Cardinals are prioritizing player development right now.
But they do need a starting pitcher, and likely wouldn’t have to give up too much to get him back. He is a proven veteran who could be a leader in a young clubhouse and can qualify as an ace for a St. Louis team that is lacking one.
It Makes Sense, But is Unlikely
A Gray deal could make sense for the Red Sox and the Cardinals. The Cardinals wouldn’t have to sacrifice their future, and the Red Sox could offload an expiring contract and at least get something in exchange.
However, the Cardinals don’t appear to be inclined to chase rentals, as owner and chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. alluded to last month.
“When the Trading Deadline comes up, teams have a tendency to [think] ‘Well, if I get one more guy, I’ll give them two of my draft choices, then I can make the playoffs.’ That’s kind of not our model,” DeWitt said.
“We’ll obviously engage at the Deadline, but it will not be for a two-month hopeful. It will be a good reason to make the deal, regardless of where we happen to be.”
So, coming straight from the club’s owner, it appears that Gray returning to St. Louis is unlikely, so it will be interesting to see how they operate at this year’s deadline. Perhaps the best path forward is to sell, regardless of where they are in the standings. They have a lot of pieces that teams will be interested in, per Ken Rosenthal.
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