MLB Trade Rumors: Sonny Gray Might "Love" A Reunion With One Team

July 04, 2026 ,
The St. Louis Cardinals traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox last November, and there is a growing chance the veteran right-hander finds his way back.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Gray might "love" to get traded back to St. Louis, a possibility Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer built into a full trade proposal sending the three-time All-Star from Boston back to the Cardinals.

Why It Could Happen

Gray recently told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe that he would be willing to discuss waiving his no-trade clause again if the Red Sox commit to selling.

Boston sits well out of contention and is expected to move expiring contracts at the August 3 deadline, and Gray, on the final guaranteed year of his deal, is a logical trade chip.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have become one of the surprises of the season.

Chaim Bloom's rebuild was supposed to be a step back, but St. Louis has stayed in the NL Central race behind young players like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, and the rotation beyond Michael McGreevy has been a clear weakness.

"These would have been ridiculous notions a few months ago, but not now," Rymer wrote. "The Cardinals are a genuine surprise even without a stable rotation, and they know Gray could stabilize it."

The Complications

There are real obstacles to a reunion.

Gray is playing well, carrying a 2.69 ERA with 75 strikeouts across 83.2 innings, but the Red Sox restructured his contract when they acquired him, and even with the Cardinals having already paid down part of the deal, Boston would likely have to eat a significant portion to get the return it wants.

There is also the question of whether St. Louis, despite contending, would add a rental when the organization is still expected to sell.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that trading right-hander Dustin May remains part of the Cardinals' plan, which makes acquiring another veteran arm a complicated fit.

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