One Cardinals trade asset won't give John Mozeliak the chance to betray him

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray still has two years and $60 million left on his contract. With the Cards trying to shed payroll, Gray was an obvious target for contending teams entering this winter. There's only one problem, however – Gray has not indicated that he's willing to wave his no-trade clause.

Gray considered St. Louis home, and the Tennessee native has never played this close to his hometown. At 35 years old, Gray hasn't come close to the World Series, and likely will not for St. Louis in 2025 barring a sudden change in direction.

The starting pitching market is rich with talent at the start of free agency, but as some of those stars find new homes, teams with tradable rotation pieces will flourish. John Mozeliak and the Cards front office know this, which is why Gray would receive a one-way ticket out of town if he were willing.

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Keeping Sonny Gray is a blessing in disguise for the St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals can and should build around their young core. However, it's also important that they keep the right veterans around to teach the team how to win and operate like professionals. Willson Contreras, for example, has been an outspoken member of the St. Louis clubhouse. His willingness to move to first base will likely keep him off the trade block this winter.

Unlike Contreras, Gray holds his own destiny. Because Gray has a no-trade clause, he can stick around for as long as he pleases, whether that be at the trade deadline or even the 2026 season, should he so desire. And as St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman noted, it's not like Gray is hurting the Cardinals by sticking around. His contract is far from an albatross.

"Is Gray’s return possibly a hindrance to the Cardinals’ overall plan? Not necessarily. To see their plan through, Sonny staying could just mean the Cards look to cut money other ways — or a way they hadn’t thought of prior. And we don’t know how $60 million off the books would’ve accelerated the Cardinals’ overall plan anyway. And again, there are benefits to having a veteran who finished sixth in the National League last year in WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched)," Hochman wrote.

When Gray signed with St. Louis, he chose the Cardinals because he trusted the franchise with his future. While their direction may no longer match his own winning mentality, Gray is willing to stick it out through the length of his deal. The Cardinals should view that as a blessing, rather than a curse.