Should Cardinals Seek Reunion with Veteran Pitcher for '27 Season?

After talking openly for years about looking forward to retirement and spending more time with his school-aged sons, Sonny Gray threw a changeup recently when he professed his desire to pitch again in 2027.

Why wouldn’t the 36-year-old Gray want to pitch again after a 2026 season in Boston where he helped the Red Sox engineer one of MLB’s greatest in-season turnarounds? Gray put to rest the fears of his advancing age and pitching at Fenway Park by going 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA over 29 starts. His 18 wins tied Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez for the most wins in MLB, while his 2.72 ERA ranked eighth in MLB.

In the playoffs, the Red Sox were smashed in two games by the rival Yankees. In his Game 2 start, Gray allowed six hits and two earned runs, but he was pulled after just 4 2/3 innings and he groused about not being “trusted” following the season-ending loss.

“My family and I have talked about it and it’s an easy decision," Gray told the Boston Globe. "I still want to win a World Series, whether that is [with] Boston or with whoever wants me.”  

While the Red Sox will undoubtedly look to re-up with Gray before he hits free agency – likely on a one-year deal – he should have plenty of suitors for his services in the season ahead.

The St. Louis Cardinals should be one of those suitors.

In need of a proven veteran pitcher who can both be a No. 1 starter and provide a veteran presence, Gray could be just the pitcher the need to get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Sure, the Cardinals tried that before, signing Gray to a three-year, $75 million free-agent contract in 2023 and he pitched far better than most remember. Gray became the first pitcher in the storied history of the franchise to strike out at least 200 hitters in his first two seasons by whiffing 203 and 201 batters in 2024 and ’25.

Gray agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract last November so that he could potentially pitch for a contender again while the Cardinals hit the reset button on their roster and started a rebuild. Gray got to pitch in high-leverage games in Boston, but still the Red Sox failed to win a playoff game.

Despite going all-in on a full rebuild for the first time in more than three decades last season, the young and feisty Cardinals proved themselves to be more than just competitive. They were nine games over .500 at three points early in the season and they hit the MLB All-Star break at 50-45.

Ultimately, the Cardinals faded over the second half of the season when the holes in their roster became exposed. Following through on the pledge to not let short-term goals close their long-term judgement, Cards’ president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom traded the club’s most veteran starting pitcher, Dustin May, and its top left-handed reliever, JoJo Romero, to the Brewers for a couple of prospects.

Analytics suggest Two Cardinals Could be Poised for Huge Numbers in 2027 

Adding another veteran pitcher the caliber of Gray could help push the Cardinals back into the playoffs. St. Louis’ starters compiled the National League’s sixth-best ERA (4.17) and they pitched the seventh most innings (829) in the NL. However, they ranked ninth in strikeouts as a staff (706) and could use some of the swing-and-miss stuff that Gray can still generate.

One burning question, of course, is whether Gray would entertain a return to St. Louis? One of the most important factors that brought him to St. Louis in the first place was the proximity to his offseason home in suburban Nashville – and nothing has changed there. Also, there’s a familiarity already in place with manager Oliver Marmol, pitching coach Dusty Blake and established starters Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy and Quinn Mathews.

If the Cardinals can convince Gray that they are eager to win – and go deep in the playoffs – the marriage could potentially work again in St. Louis. Based on his performance in 2026, Gray clearly still has plenty left to give and the Cardinals need a proven veteran of his caliber with swing-and-miss stuff to lead their young pitching staff.