Sonny Gray's first start with Cardinals proves John Mozeliak finally did something right

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals got to experience the long-awaited return of right-hander Sonny Gray.

After finishing second in the Cy Young race in the American League, St. Louis signed him to a three-year, $75 million contract, securing their new ace. However, he was injured in spring training and began the season on the injured list.

But he finally got a chance to make his Cardinals debut on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He fired five scoreless innings and ultimately outdueled Zack Wheeler, helping the Cardinals even the series against the Phils and proving that John Mozeliak had made the right move by signing him this past offseason.

Gray's first start proves Mozeliak finally did something right

Obviously, Mozeliak's recent track record doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. Fans even booed him during Adam Wainwright's retirement ceremony and again on Opening Day.

But the move to sign Gray clearly was the right move by Mozeliak. The Cardinals desperately needed an ace after a dreadful 2023 season. Gray was every bit as good as advertised in his official Cardinals debut.

And while Mozeliak has made plenty of mistakes over the years such as trading Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia, he does deserve credit for being able to get the Gray deal done. The 34-year-old was exactly what the Cardinals needed on Tuesday against Philadelphia.

For the first time in years, the Cardinals actually have an ace who can lead the rotation and potentially give them a chance to win in playoff games. While the rest of the rotation isn't quite as strong, Gray should make things better as the Cardinals do their best to avoid another 91-loss season.

Gray was clearly ready after pitching a few simulated games, and although he was on a 65-pitch limit, he certainly made the most of his time on the mound.

Mozeliak had yet to add a frontline starter in his years running the Cardinals. The time was right to add one, and despite his mistakes, he did not miss with the Gray signing.

With the win, the Cardinals got back to the .500 mark and gave themselves a chance to go for the series win today.