Cardinals Sonny Gray injury could open door for Scott Boras clients

The St. Louis Cardinals currently find themselves in a bit of a predicament.

While the team was busy this offseason and acquired three starters in free agency, one of those three may end up on the shelf, and it's one the Cardinals can ill-afford to lose.

On Monday, newly signed ace Sonny Gray left his start against the Washington Nationals due to hamstring tightness. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided the news on Twitter.

This is not good news for the Cardinals, as beyond Gray, the rotation is sketchy. Miles Mikolas allowed the most hits in all of baseball last season, while Steven Matz has struggled to stay healthy. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson are also coming off bad 2023 campaigns.

Sonny Gray's injury could open door for another Cardinals signing

If Gray is out for an extended period of time, the Cardinals are going to be in trouble. Their starting pitching was the main culprit last season when they posted a ghastly record of 71-91 and finished in last place in the NL Central.

To avoid falling into the same trap, the Cardinals are going to have to dive back into the free agent market, where Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remain unsigned.

Gray's injury could open a door for the Cardinals to potentially sign one of the remaining Scott Boras clients available, but the Cardinals must act.

John Mozeliak cannot afford to trust an internal option over a proven starter such as Snell or Montgomery. Owner Bill DeWitt also can't be too conservative with the team's payroll. This is what ultimately cost the Cardinals last season.

It would have been wise for the Cardinals to sign a second frontline starter this offseason in addition to Gray. But if Gray is out for an extended period of time, a perfect opportunity has arisen for the Cardinals to keep shopping.

Of course, the injury could be minor, and Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cards back in November, may not need much time. It could be as simple as Gray feeling cramps and being pulled for precautionary reasons.

Nevertheless, this is the last thing the Cardinals needed after such a difficult season, and they can only hope the injury isn't too serious.