3 best Sonny Gray landing spots with Phillies possibly out of running
By Curt Bishop
Aaron Nola is now off the board. The Philadelphia Phillies retained their star right-hander for seven years and $172 million.
The market has moved, and now it's time to examine where other free agent starters might fit.
Sonny Gray remains one of the top options available. The Phillies would have been a potential landing spot if they had been unable to sign Nola. But with Nola off the board, the Phillies are likely out of the running for Gray.
With that in mind, here are three teams that still need starting pitching help and could ultimately make a play for the righty.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis may be the best fit for Gray out of every team in baseball.
The veteran right-hander finished second in the Cy Young race in the American League this year with an ERA of 2.79, which makes him an ideal target for the Cardinals, who are desperate to add pitching and put a miserable 2023 season behind them.
Gray fits the mold of an ace and will cost significantly less than somebody like Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both in terms of value and years.
Gray is from Smyrna, Tennessee, which is just five hours away from St. Louis. So, if signed, he would be pitching closer to home. Going back to value and number of years, the 34-year-old would certainly be somebody within the Cardinals' preferred price range.
The Cardinals' lack of pitching is what caused them to finish in last place in the NL Central this year. They sat out on the sweepstakes for several of the top starting pitchers last offseason and paid the price for it.
This is a mistake that John Mozeliak cannot afford to make a second time if the Cardinals truly plan on being a contending club again.