Sonny Gray Deal with Cardinals Set to Be Finalized

The St. Louis Cardinals are on the brink of finalizing a deal with free agent right-hander Sonny Gray today, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. As of now, the specifics of the contract remain unknown.

Gray, who recently turned 34, became a free agent after an outstanding 2023 season with the Minnesota Twins, where he earned his third All-Star appearance and finished as the runner-up in AL Cy Young award voting to Yankees’ Gerrit Cole. During the past season, Gray recorded a remarkable 2.79 ERA (54% better than league average by measure of ERA+) and the best 2.83 FIP in the MLB across 32 starts. His strikeout and groundball rates were also among the top performers in the league, ranking in the top 25 and top 10, respectively.

This will mark Gray’s first free agent contract over his 11-year major league career. Previously, he signed an extension with the Reds in 2019, and was then traded to the Twins in 2022. Despite displaying a remarkable resurgence with the Reds and Twins, there are some potential concerns about Gray’s performance, particularly regarding his elite home run prevention figures. However, a change in ballpark from Target Field to Busch Stadium may help alleviate these concerns.

Despite the risks, the Cardinals are in a prime position to benefit from Gray’s services, as they have struggled with starting pitching in recent seasons. Adding Gray to the mix gives the team a front-of-the-rotation arm and allows them to address their starting pitching issues from previous seasons.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story…