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Aaron Boone walking to the mound to change pitchers

The New York Yankees have given many players an opportunity around the league who didn’t do enough during their time with the organization. Perhaps the most well-known failure in recent years was Sonny Gray, a right-hander who has thrown the baseball at an above average level at nearly every other stop.

Gray, who owns a 3.51 ERA, has put together an incredible career for himself, earning three All-Star nods, top five Cy Young finishes, and a $75 million contract he signed through 2026.

With Gerrit Cole out, Jack Murray of Bleacher Report proposed trade ideas for the Yankees to replace him, including Gray in his article.

“A less splashy option considering his age and past experience with the franchise but he has been resurgent late in his career. He pitched 166.1 innings in 2024 and compiled a 13-9 record and a 3.84 ERA,” Murray wrote.

Would the Cardinals Trade Gray?

The St. Louis Cardinals, unlike the New York Yankees, entered the offseason trying to save money. Despite the idea of shedding salary, the Cardinals haven’t done much, not trading Gray, Nolan Arenado, and others who were believed to be available.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today in September, the Cardinals were willing to move on from Gray.

“The St. Louis Cardinals, who will announce a series of personnel moves on Monday with Chaim Bloom taking on a greater role, plan to shop veteran starter Sonny Gray while reducing payroll.

“Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract last winter, has a full no-trade clause,” Nightengale wrote.

In December, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com added that Gray could be traded, meaning that noise was still around a few months later.

“Aside from Crochet, other starters potentially available in trades include Luis Castillo, Dylan Cease, Sonny Gray and Jesús Luzardo, according to sources,” Feinsand wrote.

Things change quickly on the trade front, but the Yankees should be able to, at the very least, inquire on Gray.

Gray Is Ready to Play

Playing for a team that isn’t trying to win is never ideal. The New York Yankees have attempted to win at nearly every step of the way during the existence of the organization. The St. Louis Cardinals have been a very proud organization for a very long time, too, but this isn’t the time for them to compete.

Gray, Arenado, and the other players on the roster who are built to win now, know it’s a business. Gray, however, just wants to pitch, and he’s ready to play whether he’s with the Cardinals or another team like the Yankees eventually.

“You say a ‘reset’ I guess, but what does that mean? I mean, it’s not like we unloaded everybody we just didn’t sign the people who were free agents back and didn’t add any free agents so far,” Gray said. “I don’t know, only time will tell. I’m getting more and more excited each day that I’m here just for baseball in general. Only time will tell how this goes.”

He already had a stint with the Yankees, and while it didn’t go as planned, he’s older, and could welcome a return if it makes sense for both sides.

Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan