By Curt Bishop,Yardbarker

Copyright yardbarker

Why a Gray trade makes sense for the Cardinals

Ultimately, trading Gray would not be a bad idea for St. Louis. He has one more year left on his contract and a $30M club option in 2027. Next year, he’ll make $35M.

If the Cardinals trade the veteran righty, they can potentially get out from under some of the money owed to him. They’ll likely have to eat a significant portion of his salary to get the best possible return, but they can still free up some salary space and use what space they receive to add to other areas of the roster or add a lower-priced free agent or two. Gray could also net the team some decent prospects to help strengthen the farm system.

This would also fully signal that the Cardinals are rebuilding. Trading Gray would open up more opportunities for younger pitchers. The time has come for St. Louis to take a step back from contention and focus on the future, and rebuilding makes sense at this point.