The Hot Stove is really starting to heat up, with multiple significant trades already going down around MLB, and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet.

Early in the week, the St. Louis Cardinals traded SP Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, and there’s actually a lot the Cleveland Guardians can learn from this one transaction.

Right now, the Guardians might have too many starting pitchers, which could prompt them to make a trade before Opening Day. 

Contenders are almost always looking for more pitching, so it isn’t surprising that a starter is always on the move.  That said, since Gray might end up being the best pitcher on the move this winter, that could open up the starting pitching trade market for the Guardians.

To acquire Gray, the Red Sox gave up RHP Richard Fitts, an established big-league pitcher, and  LHP Brank Clarke, a Double-A pitcher who became the Cardinals’ No. 7 prospect after the trade.

Gray is definitely better than any pitcher Cleveland would be willing to give up in a trade this offseason, but it still shows that the Guardians could, at the very least, get a quality bullpen arm or a prospect with relatively high upside in a trade for one of their back-of-rotation pitchers.

Probably the most significant thing the Guardians can learn from this transaction is that the Cardinals are open for business. 

There were reports earlier in the offseason that St. Louis could be an active seller on the trade market this winter. Cleveland was one of the teams reportedly interested in utility man Brendan Donovan, and Lars Nootbar would be a solid fit on the Guardians, too.

With the Gray trade now done, the Cardinals are indirectly sending a message to the rest of MLB and the Guardians that they could be willing to trade other players on their roster as well.

Now's the time for the Guardians to pick up the phone and try to get a trade done for Donovan, now that they know the Cardinals are willing to make trades this offseason.