The veteran right-hander Sonny Gray was linked to the Atlanta Braves last offseason before ultimately signing a three-year, $75 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
But now, with spring training underway, some are wondering if that connection could resurface before the 2025 season kicks off.
Is There Fire Behind the Smoke?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer recently floated the idea that Gray could still end up in Atlanta, though he admitted it was purely speculative. And for now, there’s no concrete indication that Gray wants out of St. Louis.
In January, he stated that St. Louis is “still where I want to be.” But in a more recent interview, he sounded a little less certain, particularly when discussing the Cardinals’ quiet offseason.
“You say a ‘reset’ I guess, but what does that mean?” Gray told FanDuel Sports Network’s Jim Hayes. “It’s not like we unloaded everybody—we just didn’t sign the people who were free agents back and didn’t add any free agents so far.”
That doesn’t exactly scream “trade request,” but it does suggest some frustration. Gray is a competitor, and the Cardinals’ lack of offseason aggression may make him wonder what kind of team he’ll lead in 2025.
The Braves Rotation and Payroll Considerations
Would the Braves even be interested in taking on Gray’s contract? That’s the bigger question. The 34-year-old is owed $25 million this season, with that number jumping to $35 million in 2026.
Atlanta hasn’t shown much willingness to add a high-priced starter this offseason, and they seem more focused on seeing what their younger arms—like Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, and AJ Smith-Shawver—can do early in the year.
Still, if the Braves rotation struggles in April or if someone like Spencer Strider faces a setback, the front office could start making calls.
Gray’s track record speaks for itself, he’s a three-time All-Star with a career 3.51 ERA. He was particularly dominant in 2023 with the Twins, posting a 2.79 ERA and leading the league with a 2.83 FIP.
Even in his first year with St. Louis, he was solid, striking out 203 batters over 166.1 innings with a respectable 3.84 ERA.
A Trade Seems Unlikely—For Now
As things stand, a trade sending Gray to Atlanta before the season starts seems far-fetched.
The Braves aren’t in desperate need of rotation help right now. And Gray hasn’t given any real indication that he wants out of St. Louis. But if the Braves struggle early or the Cardinals’ season starts going south, this could be a situation worth revisiting come summer.
For now, though, Gray remains a Cardinal—and the Braves are sticking with what they’ve got.
